(Re) Building An Empire
by Panakeias
Summary: Aftermath of the London attack, Integra and Seras realize they are the only members of Hellsing left. There's a city to rebuild and stories about their lives in the thirty years of Alucard's absence. Cover by Darklion612.
1. First Day

**Disclaimer: All characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano. This story is posted for free and there is no more benefit from it than reading the awesome reviews and getting loving faves ;)**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**First day**

A black shooting star was clearly illuminated by the Londonien bloody sky. There was no one to see it, for the city being broken and the possible witnesses were all dead.  
The morning sun was warm, but to the couple flying over the massacre the heat was far from comforting. Two young women, seeking for reassurance in that hopeless morning. One had lost the energy; the other had lost the health. Seras looked frantic to her responsibility, the woman who had hosted her when she had nothing left, not even the life, was a semi unconscious mess of tangled emotions in her arm. It was hard to assume the iron woman Integra was so broken after that night events, everything she had had was lost. She no longer had her two more faithful servants, her mansion was wreckage, the round table was probably extinct, no more wild geese, no more proud England.

Seras propelled with her newly awakened powers from one point of the city to the other. A hospital, she had to find one!  
Remains in here, embers in there. St. Thomas Hospital was just a pile of rubble. Here the sun turned so much for her. The police girl let go of her boss to lie on the floor next to her. Far away she could hear some sirens announcing someone could still be saved, she didn't doubt that, but her strength had diminished because of the sun. She had even forgotten how to reform her lost arm. So hot, hungry, so tired; she had never felt that when she was yet to turn a fully fledged vampire.  
Eyes half closed she smiled, at least they had saved England; she would have loved having taped in video the Major's face when his precious protective crystal had been shattered. Then the smell of spilled blood brought her back to reality, she was lying under the sun and she couldn't do anything about it. Not sure if she wanted to stand up and see the misery around her. Not sure of what she wanted to do with her 'no life'.

"What are you talking about Mignonette? We have an eternity to know each other!" A sweet voice inside her cheered, she recognized Captain Bernadotte's. "You have to stand up and fight, that's the girl I've fallen in love with."

She almost could feel his teasing as a tickle.  
"I can't move. The sun...I don't have the energy." It was amazingly stupid that she, powerful enough to destroy a werewolf with her bare hands, was losing the battle against a fireball that was miles away from there.

"Look around! It's not just about you, there's a person that needs you!" the scowl made her turn the head to where Integra was lying unconscious. Who knows if her eye could be saved, she was losing a lot of blood through the bullet hole.  
As the red liquid sprouted from the injury, Seras gulped. She was so hungry.

"Seras..." Integra's voice was less than a whisper "drink if you need it..."  
The statement was less reassuring than expected, the draculina wondered if she could be able to stop; she still had the fresh memory of eating Captain Bernadotte, the urge to continue sucking even of there wasn't a drop left. She pulled herself to her boss, taking her tongue out, she licked the bullet hole. The flavor of gunpowder flooded her taste buds. While drinking, she felt a mindless boost asking, pleading her, to swallow more. Faster. More.  
"Enough Mignonette!" Captain's voice brought her back to reality. She took the mouth out of Integra's injury. She was unconscious again, but at least the hemorrhage had stopped.

Seras felt her body warming up. A recovered energy let her to stand up. The sun laughed at her from above, but now she felt like shooting it a mischievous grin back. She picked Integra and started to run, she'd have to cross the Thames by foot but now she was sure of where to go.

* * *

Everything in her mind was about plans. She couldn't allow herself to fall into misery. Remembering Alucard's death and Walter's treason were too much for the intense moment. As soon as Seras propelled both out of the crumbling zeppelin, she had already planned where to go, to the Hellsing manor. Seras had said the place had been completely torn apart, but Integra wanted to see it with her own eyes.

Eye.

Then a hard pain numbed her thoughts. She had been shot. She knew it. The burning pain started to control her body. It wasn't the first time her flesh had met a bullet, but time had made her forget how painful it was. Her body started to tremble, suddenly losing all the heat in her, only the oozing hot blood falling alongside her cheek. No. The mansion could wait. The dead soldiers under her charge could stay there a little longer. She had to survive. Had to. No other idea running free on her mind.

"Seras..."moving her jaw made the pain a thousand times stronger "look for a hospital."

The draculina looked at her with panic. Was her state that miserable? Her mind was slipping by, but no, she wanted to stay conscious. Even when her cold sweat was mixing with the burning blood, even when her fingers had lost feeling, she wanted to stay calm, to focus in living. Unfortunately, that brought her nightmares, memories. Walter's treason was mixed with all the years he had shared with her. Back when she was a small child asking him to hide her from other kids she was playing with; years practicing fencing with him as opponent after her instructor had told her she would never be good enough for a tournament; nights when he had brought her hot cocoa after coming back from a terrible meeting or running from a downpour; and then his disgruntled face filled with hatred towards her.

Seras flew from one hospital to another, as it seemed everything was destroyed and most of the buildings had stop activities. Integra pretty much couldn't see where they were going, just hearing some reassurance words from her subordinate, followed by mumblings swearing the bastard Nazis that had scattered the city. It was the first time Integra heard her sweet vampire so angry, so frustrated.

A glimpse to the floor showed her they were crossing the Thames. And losing height in the process. It was predictable, the sun had risen and running waters had diminishing power even for Alucard. The recently created vampire was on the verge of her powers, Integra could even hear her panting as the girl left her softly on the other side before falling herself heavily on the floor. Seras was probably dealing with her new change. As a fledgling she could stand sunlight thanks to her bound with Alucard, but now she was all alone, it was a matter of surviving with her own means.  
That was it, Integra shuffled, trying to focus on the place she was. The view was familiar, she looked from the river to the land, she recognized St. Thomas Hospital. Except this time it had been reduced to cinders. That was it. She had lost so much blood her state was nearly conscious. And her protector had lost her powers due to the early morning light. Amid her panting, Integra could hear the young vampire gulping. Then the Head of Hellsing brought her back alert just enough for react to the situation.

"Seras..." Integra's voice was less than a whisper "drink if you need it..."

At first the vampire hesitated. It was a good signal; it meant Seras was far from losing her humanity even in that tainted body. Then she draculina leaned to lick her wound. Her dry cold tongue touching the eye socket was similar to one hundred needles stabbing her skull. She had remembered the pain. Fortunately this gave the opportunity to her unconscious state to slip by.

* * *

Morris closed Jean Claude's lids. Looking at the hallway, stained with the remains of his partners he realized it was a useless effort, nevertheless he walked towards Iram for doing the same. Then to Richard, then to Mark. Suddenly Bruno started to shake, a non human trembling, his face turning a pallid green, looking at the Wild Geese survivor with void eyes. Morris cursed, having to spend his last bullet on him, but damn he was giving his friend a decent burial.

The bullet pierced the head. Leaving a truly dead body behind.

Aiden appeared the other side of the hall, a ball of blankets resting on his shoulder.  
"Let's give them a little more decency." He said while covering what was left of Mauricio.

As members of the Wild Geese they were supposed to pick up the corpses of their mates. It was all part and parcel of their job. But this was too much.

When they were enrolled by Hellsing they knew this was not going to be child's play. Some had bet it was going to be like in Ghana; however nothing in the carnage the survivors were seeing that resembled to the battle in Ghana. It was more similar to the nightmares of an insane man straight jacketed in a sanatorium after a wild dose of pills. They'd rather wake up in some old barn covered in shit than being in this broken manor.

Jules appeared by the hall.  
"Hey, we have a survivor!" he flashed heading to the kitchen "Emmanuel it's alive, he's on the barricade, I'll go get some supplies!"

Aiden and Morris changed tired sights, most of the other 'survivors' had been in so sorry state that they had asked for ending their suffering. Even so both wanted to stay by his friend before his departure, then rushed towards the end of the hall, where the team had stood their ground until the last breath. Clever that Aiden was still carrying the blankets, they covered the corpses in the room after checking on the doctor of the team. Emanuel had lost one leg in the pzantercrust explosion and was sweating heavily. Jules had made a tourniquet around his it for preventing any hemorrhage, but it was so mangled there was no way to save it. Even when he was the doctor, he was in no state for giving instructions of what to do. Jules appeared by the door with a bucket of cold water and towels. Lowering the fever was important, but the only option was to amputate.

"Have any of you done that before?" Aiden looked to Jules, then to Morris. Both shook the head. "Bring me a saw or something heavy. I remember seeing an ax on hanged on the wall of Sir Hellsing's office."

"An ax? Seriously?" Morris gulped. "Have you done this before?"

"Of course not, I'm not doctor." It was surprising how brave Aiden had turned after seeing Seras giving her last hint of humanity to save their sorry asses about one hour ago. "But I'm won't stay here just looking how a partner dies!" In fact, he was ashamed of his panic attack back then. Had he been more valiant, the captain wouldn't have died. "Also, search in Emmanuel's sack for medicines, anything you find relating painkillers."

The task was the most unpleasant thing they had done. Granted they had seen a lot of blood in battle, but severing a leg was nothing they had in their schedule when enrolled as mercenaries. They had long time ago understood their lives were short and expendable, and yet they gave their best effort to save one sole life. Under Emanuel's right knee there was only a stump left.  
Surrounded by lumps lined with red stained blankets, debris, and scattered gunpowder, the single moment his friend turn conscious to look at them thankful, they felt like ascending to heaven.

Two hours later in the morning. The bodies were carefully arranged in the entrance of the mansion. Some body parts were probably mixed, but Jules knew his ex partners wouldn't mind. He caught a crimson light by the corner of his eye. Different to the proud one he had seen this dawn, the current was shuffling, touching the land more often than the wanted. Seras stopped abruptly, lifting a good portion of ground under her feet, right before him. Jules didn't even have time to flinch, but he was sure his heart had lost a beat; if had she been his enemy, he would never know who have killed him. Before him there was a young blonde girl, probably the cutest one he had seen on his life, aside from the fact her lost left arm had been replaced by a black yet tangible shadow. Her red eyes spoke murder until she sighted him, then her expression changed to fret.

"Julius, Sir Integra is..." the words died in her mouth, as it was clear what she meant. In her arms, the head of Hellsing was a hunched woman in pain. There was a nasty bullet hole right beside the eye, or that was what it looked like with all the blood pouring from there.  
Immediately they ran with Emmanuel, who was still convalescent but thankfully conscious. He didn't lose a second giving instructions, it was an unsanitary place but he damn had to operate. Jules, Aiden and Morris carried both the doctor and patient to the less shattered place of the house, Sir Integra's room. Emanuel had to make the surgery lying next to her, resting all his weight on his right elbow, unable to reach the implements needed, Aiden offered to work as nurse. Cleaning the blood, bringing up more towels, applying antiseptic. With the fresh memory of cutting off his friend's leg it had not been an easy task.

She paced back and fro by Sir Integra's room door. In no way she resembled to the monster Alucard was. She helped in whatever task she could, even looking for some specific medicine all inside the house. By noon Emmanuel called everyone inside. Sir Hellsing was out of danger, he had removed all the skull scattered pieces from the injury; being shot this close it was a miracle that the brain was undamaged. Obviously Integra had lost the eye, but knowing the head of Hellsing it was unlikely she would miss it.

* * *

The girl was unwilling to go rest. The house was a wreckage, her efforts for fixing what Zorin and her troops had done were fruitless, she had placed planks and rearranged walls, yet everything was tearing to pieces. Sir Integra's office had gotten direct damage, the bright sun lighted the place by a huge opening in the middle. She shook her head, there was no way she even TRYING to fix that early. Even in late hours in the afternoon Seras continued making the house half decent, using what she had left of her powers at least the house was concealed and a little cleaner now that she had mopped the blood on the first floor. She hadn't participated in the ill task of burying the corpses, Morris and Jules had told her to step aside, that why when she found Captain Bernadotte's body on the second floor her stomach sank. _Seriously? No one has taken the time for burying YOUR Captain?_ She looked each side of the hallway where she had gotten her first _and last_ kiss. Stepping of the remaining Zorin's cinders, she picked her loving captain's body. For her, it was nothing but a vessel, and it weighed less than imagined.

Outside the sun was about to set. Aiden, Morris and Jules were resting on the garden grass next to a line of recently removed ground. They didn't look surprised when the draculina appeared with their captain resting on her arms.

"We thought you would like to be at his burial." Aiden implied, giving a tug to his cigarette. "We were planning to wait for you to wake up but you haven't stopped all day."

"It doesn't matter." She placed gently Captain's dead body in the grave his mates had already prepared. Then she smiled with saddened eyes "It's not that I would die of overworking." They covered the tomb with ground, each one saying some words of praise. None of them cried, used to death more casually than the common of people. Seras grabbed some lilies from the gardens to place on flowers over each tomb in such a way that all of them looked the same, as each Wild Geese member was as important as the other. Their deaths had been her fault, if she had had the guts to drink blood before she could have saved them all. She would have been able to protect, like she did with Integra. And even so her boss has lost an eye. She remembered how her Master patted her, why she didn't drink his blood...what was she afraid of? She felt a fool standing undead before those tombs. Now she had an eternity to apologies to her fallen comrades.

"No need _Mignonette_. We were mercenaries, soldiers of fortune, bounty hunters, filibusters; we knew our destiny was to die in this place. And for a woman like you, with your strength, your charm, I would give my life any other day" Pip chuckled "and no money involved."

"Sir. I took it from the kitchen; my guess is that you haven't had a meal today." Jules pulled a bag of blood from an icebox to throw it to the Draculina, she grabbed it mid air with her shadowy arm.

Seras turned smiling; for the first time in her existence, a single blood tear fell by the corner of her red eye.

**Author's Note: I wrote this right after watching the last Hellsing Ova, it's set in the mangaverse. I have to admit the fanfic Aftermath, by Ludifer and A Bond not of Blood by Volitional inspired me to do this. There are not many fics related to Integra and Seras and I think there's a lot of material for a story. I hope you liked it and... review please?**


	2. First Night

**Disclaimer: Integra, Seras, Alucard, Walter and Sir Irons, and any other character I forgot to mention that appears in here, belong to Kouta Hirano and to whoever had the rights from the OVAs. I don't get any economical profit out from it.**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**First night**

*This is farewell, my Master Integra.*

*No! Don't disappear!*

She woke up feeling unsteady, her body was covered in sweat. Where was she? Soft blankets around her, two pillows, she could recognize the fabric, it was her bed. It was pitch dark, no sound disturbing the emptiness. Neither electricity, as her bedside lamp couldn't turn on.

What was she supposed to do now? Her legs felt numb, a chill rising from her thighs to the rest of her body. There was something cold lying on there. Her mind wondered if the attack had been nothing but a bad dream, and actually she was a little feverish kid, and Alucard was lying on her lap for lowering her temperature.

Her face was sore, she reached to her left eye. A bandage? She remembered, the battle, she had been shot. And Alucard...what had happened to him? Was he dead? That bastard, refusing to follow her orders. She still ached Walter's death; she had felt it back then, like a part of her soul was pulled away by that brief moment. Alone. Once again she felt alone, like when her father had died and she wept for days before his uncle's arrival. Alone again. Not sanctuary to run away to, no protector waiting in the basement. It hurt.

It appeared the cloudy sky hadn't let the moonshine to enter in the room, and as soon the wind pushed aside any stray cloud, Integra could see. The young Draculina was sitting next to her bed, chest resting on her lap. Her little weight could easily be mistaken for one of a child. Her face showed a dead peace. She knew to never annoy a wild vampire while sleeping, but it was usually the best moment for striking to the heart. Alucard would have never allowed her to see him sleeping for that same reason. Somehow Seras was so innocent she didn't mind; or maybe it was the trust she held to Integra what allowed her to be near in such a vulnerable position.

The vampire was so exhausted that not even the calling night could wake her up. No left arm, both had lost physically something, but Integra would miss her eye more than the vampire would miss the arm. How had she forgotten Seras? The young vampire had saved her from the blowing zeppelin; the Major was dead thanks to her. She wasn't alone, Seras was with her. Integra had to look for that newly born vampire and for England's future. Walter was dead, but Alucard would come back any moment.

Integra brushed the vampire's hair, it was silky soft. She noticed something shining on the girl's right hand. A gun. A big, inhuman sized gun. Casull. When had she retrieved it from the battlefield? Darkness again. She sighed.

"She was up all day, I guess she messed up her sleeping habits." A male voice. Someone was next to her. In bed.

Five seconds. Casull pointing at the dark shape on the other side of the bed.

Click.

Darng, no bullets! That wasteful vampire!

"Don't shot! Please don't!" that voice, she had heard it somewhere before "Sir Integra, it's me Emmanuel." The moon shined through the windows again. The man was lying with her on bed, but there was no option, a lump under the blankets was the clearest hint that something in his body went missing.

"Wild Geese doctor, if I recall." Integra regained her composure. Yet she continued stroking Seras's hair. Only three survivors of her men. She wondered if the Draculina could feel any remorse now that she had turned a complete undead. Would she feel responsible of their deaths?

He nodded.

"Feeling better?"

"How much damage?" Integra paused to touch the bandage around her head.

"Total loss, Sir. It's a miracle it didn't hit your brains." Emmanuel puffed from his cigarette. Integra cursed she hadn't ask Walter to buy her another box of cigars before his treason. She was starting to feel abstinence side effects. The doctor offered her his cigarette, excusing it was the last one. She wasn't an addict, she could manage without it.

As soon as the doctor checked her injury was in the good path to recovery, Integra strolled through the mansion, leaving Seras lying on the bed. It was a broken piece of wreck. Seras had managed to keep it in one piece with planks and nails, but this was probably beyond repair. It would be better to buy another house. Her tour finished in the office, cut by half, like a sandwich. The room where her father used to talk with her about monsters among other lessons, while working. The room that Walter had helped to redecorate after her father's death. The room where Alucard nosily used to pick at her cigars and paperwork whenever she was absent. She made her mind. She would need to spend a lot for fixing the house, but she had lived her whole life in there. Her office had been her predecessors' office; it was THE Hellsing Manor, no any minor nobleman mansion. Removing debris from her desk she picked the phone. It still had line.

It was time to dial Sir Irons. At least she wanted to know how many members of the Round Table were still alive.

* * *

The phone rang five or six times before someone the other side of the line could answer.

"Hello?"

Surprisingly it was the voice of a little girl, five or six years; in the back sound there were people shouting directions, sobbing, fast footsteps. Integra wondered if she had misdialed.

"Am I calling to the household of Sir Irons?"

She talked as doing it with an adult; since she never was a kid herself, she didn't know other form of speech.

The other side of the line seemed the kid had left the receiver on the table. Integra sharpened her ear, the muffled sounds of screeching wheels, people talking about someone else's condition, more sobbing, some man yelling the other for more bandages...? For about two minutes Integra considered to hang up and dial again, whatever was happening in there was not her business. However, she had crossed feelings. Listening to the suffering of her countrymen made her feel guilty, yet she thought she deserved this, to abide for her inability to predict this war's aftermath. If only she had noticed that the German ship heading towards London was only a decoy for taking Alucard out of the picture, she had better left the vampire on ground. That people was enduring from the Nazi assault, all this because she had overlooked what their enemies had planned. She deserved the blame.

"Someone left the phone unhooked." That voice was from Sir Irons "Hello?"

"Sir Irons!?" She snapped back to reality, those mistakes belonged to the past. She had to continue living; she had done her best to protect England. She had a household to take care of, and a vampire left to fight with. It had no use crying over spilt milk.

"Integra? I'm glad you are alive. I heard about the assault to your house. How are your numbers?"

"Same to you, Sir." Integra considered not telling him, but Sir Irons deserved to know. She bit her lower lip in frustration, she managed to keep calm while saying "Walter betrayed us, and Alucard was defeated." She didn't have a better way to explain it, Seras had said before leaving the zeppelin that the vampire was still somewhere, but none of them knew where. Probably not near, not soon.

"Walter?" he muttered in his own thoughts. "Not surprisingly. Walsh and I had already figured it out. About Alucard, I guess he'll be fine. We still have a lot to do for rebuilding this empire to think about a stray vampire."

"How many survived from the Round Table?"

"Apart from you and I... only Walsh."

"...I see."

"Integra," there was a pause where more hurried sounds of people running by the halls could be heard "your father and I had a very good relationship and... I know you don't like to look helpless, but I'll dare to ask, where are you staying?"

She knew the man was no fool, anyway that question was about to come out in any part of the conversation.

"In my mansion, though I don't think it's in a respectable state for hosting the Round Table anytime soon." She joked, half smiling, while looking through the massive hole in her office's wall.

"Great," his phrases were as emotionless as hers "then it's settled. I'm about to leave the country with her Majesty and I need someone reliable to take care of the mansion. I consider you fit perfectly, Integra, this way we both benefit from it."

Integra was agape. She was expecting some proposal but this was different than what she had in mind. It seemed there were some troublesome issues Her Majesty the Queen had to arrange in Germany. And since the Prime Minister was deceased, along with most part of the cabinet, she asked for the Round Table to go with her. Sir Irons was the only available at the time, so he accepted.

After hanging up Integra had a new house, though she wasn't sure if she could be able to call it home. She headed back to her room; the Draculina was still sleeping peacefully.

Grabbing Seras was easier than expected, she weighed less than Alucard, and Integra didn't like to remember how she knew how much Alucard weighted.

She called the remnant members of the Wild Geese, only three. Morris fixed one jeep they used for field missions, they had proposed its reparation due to lack of time. The little green car was useful indeed, simply because it had been out of range during the attack; it was the only car working in the mansion. Aiden helped to carry and tie up the coffin of Seras on the back part; Jules drove the little car to Irons' mansion.

* * *

An ambulance passed beside the jeep at full speed. Integra tried to muffle the sounds of the sirens thinking in the way to pay Sir Irons for his kindness. He was right in something, she hated feeling helpless. However she didn't have a choice, and proud as she might be, not taking the first opportunity to have a roof would be plain silly. Perhaps she would give her elder Round Table partner with some soldiers for whatever mission he might need in the future, or do him some special favor, persuading some members of the cabinet to bend at his claims. She didn't like either of them, but she knew the old man would never accept money as payment.

As they turned around the corner another ambulance overtook them. This one was heading directly to the old man's mansion. Integra's heart sank when she could focus her eye in the still-far entrance, the ambulance parked there and the paramedics got off in a rush. For the moment they arrived, two paramedics were coming out of the mansion pushing a stretcher, where an old man was fastened by belts, his face covered by an oxygen mask. Integra got of pelting from the jeep for catching that person before they could take him in the ambulance.

"Hey, stop!" She reached just in time to grab his hand and stare with blank eyes at that someone. "Sir Irons?" She thought loud voice, sure that the answer was no. That old man on the stretcher had very different facial features than her long last friend. The paramedics looked at her with pity, and then gave her some comforting words. Certainly they thought she was one of those affected by the bombing in London, probably looking for an old lost relative with the hopes he would still be alive. There wasn't much a difference of how she was feeling, setting aside the embarrassment, the deaths of all victims in the city were falling on her shoulders. Her face was the perfect mirror of someone who had realized that was alone in the world, and culprit of a massive murdering, all at the same time.

The ambulance closed its doors and headed somewhere carrying a new victim of her recklessness. Immediately after, another siren took her out of her musings. It parked outside the mansion, this one packed with not so severely injured children.

"What's going on in here?" Morris went down of the jeep to look how the paramedics took the kids inside the house. Minutes later they came out helping a woman on a wheelchair. Jules and Morris joined them in the front door.

"Integra, just in time." Sir Irons appeared in the front door, carrying a baby, no less. The little boy was long asleep and the old man had a kind of grandparental air all around him. That was a face of Sir Irons that the young vampire hunter had never seen before. "Come in."

Integra nodded and followed. Her subordinates followed her at a protective pace. Inside, saying the place was a madhouse was an understatement. The place expressed in images everything what she had heard by the phone some hours ago. The hall had turned a hospital wing, with injured people crammed on makeshift beds or over blankets on the floor. People, presumably nurses, passing to and fro. Helping from one eyed man to one armed man, from an old woman to a little kid. Speaking of kids. The ones that had just gone down the ambulance weren't badly injured, but they required medical attention in some gashes and burns. Integra heard some asking for their parents, relatives, anyone who could claim for them. When the nurses gulped and told them that someone would soon pick them up, she well recognized the lie. Orphans of her mistake, of her ideals of protecting the honor of the crown before protecting the people. She closed her eye tight. Maybe losing the eye wasn't enough payment, after all she wasn't the only one who was missing a body part.

"Sir, it's not your fault." Like he had read her mind, Jules placed his heavy hand on her shoulder.

"I know." There wasn't a point in blaming herself, she knew it. Even so, it could be helped. "What is happening here, Sir Irons?"

"What it looks like, Integra. As I told you, I won't be in the country for some time, and thinking that you weren't available anymore, I lend the St. Tomas Hospital this mansion for attending the overrunning number of victims." He walked back to face her Round Table partner, Integra had to raise her head to look directly at him "We have to start cleaning this mess somewhere."

Two maids arrived to each side of the old man carrying his luggage. They left the heavy suitcases on the floor. One of them got hold of the baby.

"Mary and Ann will help you in the management of the house. They all know everything that it is needed to know." The girls bowed slightly before resuming their task with the bags, the one with the baby disappeared behind a near door. The ginger girl left passed by Integra and her men towards the exit carrying the heavy briefcases by herself. Integra looked back to see how they put them in the limo.

"You seem in quite a rush," she could stop saying. "Of what are you running away, Sir Irons?"

"I'm not running Integra, I want to fix our country the fastest we can." The man cleaned his glasses with pensive expression "what about you?"

The girl clenched her fist. She knew what he meant. She had moved from her headquarters, abandoned them without hesitation. Indeed they were in wreckage but, in spite of its state, Seras had at least tried fixing them before even thinking to abandon them! Integra had to admit she felt lost at what to do next. Walter had been so efficient with her agenda and doing trifling chores that the moment someone lend her the hand she took it without pride. Talking about helplessness! And she was sure that had been the right choice, and yet, she thought she was missing something important. Alucard's coffin was back in the Hellsing mansion. In some way, she was running away of her own memories.

"I'm not... running away. I want this country to get back to normal as much as you want. And I've already given an eye for it!" and it wasn't enough "do you think I would leave it after this all!?"

Sir Irons nodded, proud of her answer. Then he headed outside while his maids put him the hat and the coat. Giving her the back he said.

"Take care of my mansion. And of our country."

The front door closed behind him.

**Author's Note: Thanks everybody for the follows, the faves and the reviews, everytime I got a notification in my inbox I wrote a new chapter. This is meant to follow different patterns in the lives of Integra and Seras, maybe the first episodes will be close in time, but as the story advances the time gap turns bigger. If you have any idea for their interaction (it doesn't matter if it has sexual tension, if you like that train of though xD ) just let me know and I'll write a chapter about it.**


	3. Between First and Second Night

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano, except Mary and Ann, whose were invented only for this fiction. Tufnell House and the Clemmorangie are only used for informative purposes. This story is posted for free and there is no more benefit from it than reading the awesome reviews and getting loving faves ;)**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

** Between First and Second Night**

After bidding farewell to their former boss, Mary and Ann turned back at her temporal new boss and went back to business immediately.

"St. Tomas is making room to the more severe cases." Ann promptly explained, not wasting a moment in their first tour."The ambulances only send us people that are not in danger."

"Sir Irons has been contributing for Tufnell House since the last decade; we are fostering children whose parents still are presumed alive." Mary added, this information was important, since her new boss seemed way too interested in the children that had just arrived.

Talking about her new boss, it was an honor working with the head of the Round Table. But aside of what Mary and Ann had heard from Sir Irons, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing didn't look as respectable as they had pictured. In the place of that, Ann was walking by the side a young woman, almost the age of Mary, wearing ragged clothing with spots of dirt here and there. The tie clumsily arranged around her neck; the eerie bandage around her eye still stained with dry blood; and no one had told her the neck of her shirt was folded. Granted that yesterday attacks had turned London upside down, and people in situations like this were less caring about their appearance, but she was a noblewoman, thereof she should care of what impression she wanted to give with her presence.

Talking about presence, Mary was a little distressed for the aura emanating from Sir Integra. She knew from former conversations with Sir Irons that the girl had taken care of the Hellsing household since very young, maybe younger than the age Mary started her maid training, that's why she expected Sir Integra to be a serious woman. Even so, she was walking by the side of someone with a grim spirit that pretended to look strong. Ignoring her straight posture and her hands calmly placed on the back, and occasional questions implying she was thinking deep what to do out of their tour, the woman was looking at the victims like the she had shot them, like she had severed their arms, like she was the culprit of all the crimes in the world. Mary blinked hard for not crying, it wasn't tears of frustration, it was anger. Her family was missing since the attacks, and she was wondering who gave Sir Integra the right to feel guilty from this pure act of evil. Could this act of decadence bring back her mother and little brothers? She doubted it.

Sir Integra's questionnaire paused when she saw the most severe patients; attached to their thin string of life, waiting with a little glint of hope that the Hospital would have room for them.

"Enough!" Mary burst in rage. "Who do you think you are? Coming here and pretending everything it's your fault. Does this victim act makes you feel more charitable?" There was venom in her words, she wanted to cause the more damage possible. Ann hint at her to shut up, but she wasn't stopping until she had had spoken her mind out. "You are no different than every nobleman that has stepped in here since yesterday!"

Sir Integra stared at her impassive. At first, it seemed she had been taken aback, but as soon as Ann had finished the noblewoman had returned to her normal state. Actually, there was a new shine in her eyes, similar to someone's who has made a resolution.

"Sir, she's been under a lot of pressure, I will assure you will never get insulted by her, ever again." Ann intervened apologetically; she knew Mary's butt was in its way to be kicked out of the mansion.

"Where are my men?" Sir Integra didn't take her ice blue eyes out of Mary, who was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"I...they wanted to stay together so I gave them the biggest chamber...they must still be in there" Mary no longer had hold of the situation. "I...follow me, please."

She passed by Ann to pull the younger maid by the arm. The girl deviated the sight while listening to the low-voiced scowl from her peer.

"What were you thinking!?"

Problem here was, she wasn't thinking. She was so frustrated that if it wasn't for Sir Integra being there, Mary would had ended yelling at Sir Irons himself, and that would had been way worse. Both peeked by their shoulders to confirm the noblewoman was still following, something had changed in her, not her clothes, but her posture, she expelled determination by every pore. It took several silent and awkward minutes to reach the bigger chamber. The rest of the world had melted away, it was only the three of them, and it made advancing more difficult.

When they finally arrived, three soldiers stood up with the chest out. There was a fourth one on the bed whose, due to his state, only could sit up straight.

"From here on this mansion will hold our headquarters, I expect no less than loyalty to my future decisions."

"Yessir!" The four of them answered at the unison.

"England is in need of people like you, who wants the best for the country. In the name of the Queen, impure soul shall be banished in eternal damnation. Amen!"

"Amen!" There was a sudden burst of energy in the room, like everyone had just come out of a pep talk.

"Fine." Sir Integra returned to her soldiers. "We can't allow ourselves to rest if London is suffering the aftermath. Aiden, Jules, go back to the mansion to retrieve Alucard's coffin and as many weapons we have left; Morris, you'll go with them for picking up the files. Emmanuel, you'll stay here helping the doctors as much as you can."

Mary had the mouth wide open, the soldiers never asked for more specific orders. How the blond man could know which files Sir Integra was talking about? No one told the tanned man that the Doctor needed a wheelchair. More than trained soldiers, they were someway synchronized with their boss' thoughts. Sir Integra turned to Mary, who was flustered with the sudden change of mood.

"And I expect the same from you, Miss Mary."

"Yes, ma'am." Mary yelled, cheeks turning red. Ann, trying to express her solidarity, repeated the same.

* * *

"Seras...ras...as" an echoing voice struggled inside her head "Seras Victoria...toria...oria"

The girl was lying so comfortably that she frowned with the idea of waking up.

"Seras, wake up!...up!...up"

A bucket of cold water fell on her and she had to bust open her eyes while yelping. But when she looked at her uniform it was dry, the only water she had to remove was the drool falling from the corner of her mouth. Then she realized she wasn't in Integra's room. Actually, she wasn't in any place she had been before. It was a café lounge with an avant garde style; Seras knew this because she entered with some cops friends once to one of those when they spend vacations in Amsterdam. However this was the first time she stepped on _this_ particular café. A mismatched jazz music played as background, and the waters for some reason were human sized praying mantis dressed in frac. She realized she had been lying on a white table and around her they had placed floating cupcakes. The moment she attempted to grab one, a cute black mouse with red eyes appeared to catch the pastry on fly before Seras could. It happened two or three times until the girl gave it up.

"Seras...ras...as, come with me...me...ee"

Seras turned abruptly. Behind her a strange man was hovering about a foot from the floor. His dark skin contrasted with the bone colored suit with golden neck and the Uncle Sam-like pants.

Seras pointed at him with the mouth wide open for no reason, she formed a cross with both arms and a childish scream came out from her mouth.

"Charley says never go anywhere with men you don't know!" Then she went down of the table to run, but the black mouse made her trip and her face fell directly in some cupcakes. Helpless, she waved her hands aimlessly expecting to hit somewhere with her eyes closed.

"Oh, shut up...up..up. I'm here to help you...ou...uu."

Seras blinked at the man. The music pace went faster. The mysterious floating guy was cuddling his mustache with the index finger.

"I'm the spirit of the Casull...sull...ull"

Seras vaguely remembered meeting the spirit of her Harkonnen when they had a trip to Brazil. She didn't dare asking her master if every weapon had one, but looking at the rastafarian guy it was most likely that Alucard had to deal with two of them back at the time.

"Oh faithful Spirit, are you here to share the wisdom you used to give to my Master?" She pleaded with the eyes full of expectancy.

The Spirit was no longer looking at her, instead the mouse had jump to his hand and for some reason he was licking it. When he noticed Seras was waiting for an answer, he stretched the animal towards her.

"Want some?...ome?...me?"

Seras ran away again. At some yards from the entrance, the doors went wide open. The intense light from outside was eclipsed by a rounded shape. As soon as he entered, Seras could recognize the sweating old man as the Spirit of the Harkonnen. As disgusting as always.

Even so, she felt glad the spirit passed by her straight to the Casull's. They face each other sending mean little lighting with their gazes. A praying mantis offered Seras a cup with blood and she sat on the nearest couch to enjoy herself.

"And who gave you the right to contact with my little Seras?" Harkonnen's spirit hovered closer while flapping the hands on the sides of his body.

"I gave it myself...self...elf". Casull's spirit leaned too.

"And for what?" Harkonnen pressed forward, inches from his contenders' face.

"Because...ause...ues". Casull shortened the distance in them to hit his forehead with the other spirit. As Seras sipped from her glass and the music turned weirder and weirder, she wondered from where all this was coming from.

The tension broke in the instant Casull burst in tears, his face similar to the painting 'The Scream'.

"I lost my owner!...ner!..er! What am I going to do...do...o?"

The tears formed a puddle that reached Sera's boots, there was even a little rainbow fish splashing on it.

"That doesn't give you the right to mess with my girl" Harkonnen pointed at the guy that was knocked down on the floor thanks to a tantrum.

"Hum... Mister Casull." Both spirits stopped to look at Seras. "Master is not gone. I'm sure Master will finish his business and will join us sooner or later. I...well...we...would you like to stay with us until then?"

Casull's eyes shone like diamonds, he arrived to kneel before Seras with only one step, even though the man was the other side of the lounge. He held the girls hands on his and shook them furiously. The black mouse took a place on her shoulder, and she could swear it was smiling under its long whiskers. For some reason, the spirit of the Harkonnen joined them in an unexpected hug. It wasn't that disgusting at all.

When she opened the eyes again, she wasn't in Integra's room, neither in the lounge. She recognized the linen and the wooden essence, it was her coffin. Seras was grateful that whoever had left her in there, had allowed her Master's weapon to stay at her side.

* * *

Something, or someone removed her coffin's lid, and the dim light entering pinched her pale face. No one before had done that aside from her Master, she didn't know how to react. She thought to struggle. Was she in danger?

The worst of decisions, she didn't do anything about it. Instead, her plan was to lay unmoving there, looking as a harmless, sleeping corpse, in the hopes that whoever had opened the lid would get tired and go. Of course Master would laugh at her! That was the most cowardly decision she had made, but from the time she worked for Hellsing she knew that any vampire that jumped out bragging of his or her power was a dead vampire so, she wasn't taking that risk.

Actually, as her mind turned less foggy, she remembered her ability to see with her third eye. So she took a careful peek at her surroundings, it was tiresome doing it with an empty stomach. Sir Integra was sitting next to her, relief ran through her, at least she was safe inside a room. The twilight sun lighted most of the room, there were bookshelves covering every tall wall. A library, Seras guessed. Her boss was kneeling beside her, she felt the woman's soft fingers caressing her cheeks, her expression of pure endearment. Integra strode back to throw herself next to the nearest table. Her signature cigar gone, a scotch glass taking its place next to her lips. Seras looked at the table, a bottle of the same drink, half empty, on there. The label said Glemmorangie, its ink had faded away and the paper corners were lifted from when the glue had given up. That wasn't something her boss had recently bought, in fact, Seras remembered that bottle has taken a special place in Integra's office, behind a glass shelf in the far corner, among the few things she had in the minimalistic place. Walter had told her he had never seen Integra drinking, she despised the habit since her father was an alcoholic. Perhaps alcohol was the reason he could never manage Master, or the other side, Alucard was the reason Arthur Hellsing became addict.

Anyway, there was something wrong with Integra drinking. Seras woke up slowly, not wanting to scare her boss. She didn't seem to notice her subordinate until she had finished off her glass.

"Good morning, Officer Victoria." Her voice wasn't as slurred as the Draculina was expecting, maybe she was better managing alcohol than her father.

"Good night, Sir." Seras couldn't help to shoot a complaint look at the bottle.

As if she was expecting someone to ask her about it, Integra grabbed the scotch for pouring another glass.

"My father bought -hic- this the day I was born" she gave a sip to the glass "but he couldn't wait to drink it with me when -hic- I came to age."

Seras didn't get if she was meaning he was so addicted that he couldn't but open the bottle before time or that he died when Integra was still a kid.

The Draculina didn't like seeing the woman drinking; it looked so out of her character. Even more when she invited the vampire to sit on her lap.

"Are you sure, Sir?"

"Just... -hic- come here." She patted her knee again, trying to hide her hiccups.

Seras couldn't do but obey.

"Sir, you are a bad drinker." The girl stated, knowing she had gotten drank only once in her life, from that day she went bar hopping with his mates from work.

Where were they going with this? Aside from the common sense, Seras felt particularly safe on Integra's legs. She wondered if this was what Master had wanted for a long time. Seras turned to look at the slightly red face of her boss and, in an impulse, she pressed her lips against hers. Sudden warm came to her undead body when they separated. She had just stolen her boss' virginal lips, this wasn't exactly what her Master would want, he would like to go further. He had never told her fledgling, but somehow Seras knew it. She looked devilishly at Integra, who, face still blushed, seemed far more in her senses that ever and at least had forgotten the hiccups.

"Sir, do you find me attractive?"

"Of course not, fool!" Integra shot back with no second thought. "Who would like a tomboy vampire like you?" Seras could almost imagine her saying so while sticking out a forked tongue.

"I am the tomboy? At least I have the curves for wearing a dress" Seras taunted.

"You mean the uniform? That's more a club girl's clothing!" Integra gave a comeback.

Seras was about to say something else when a stomach grumble made her stop. Integra was as surprised as she, both set silence until a burst of laugh from the Draculina side broke it out. Integra followed with some chuckle, until it turned into a crackle.

"Sir, I'm hungry too."

Integra didn't answer; instead, she removed slowly a glove from her subordinate's hand, revealing her sharp nails. With paused calm, perhaps from the alcohol intake, she took one finger for pressing the nail against the soft part of her wrist. A clean horizontal slice revealed the sweet blood.

"I asked Emmanuel for your meal, but no one in here is in condition to donate." She offered the cut, Seras didn't waste a minute to place her mouth around it and savor it, her tongue going over intrusively in the injury.

She was half falling asleep in bliss when something woke her fully again. Faraway, the presence of a ghoul wandering the remains of the city. Soon a second one joined. In a moment they were several, waking up with the departure of the sun. _Hadn't Master gotten rid of them? Maybe there were vampires remaining too. _Seras paid attention to the smallest details with her third eye, the warm willingly given blood giving her the energies for doing so. She could see them, only an increasing number of ghouls searching for a remaining prey in the tarmac desert.

"Sir... ghouls. There are remaining ghouls in the city." Seras reluctantly pulled out her mouth from the cut to look frantic at Integra.

"I know." Her boss' vision pinned at the window, like expecting to see anything through the falling night. "We don't have enough soldiers, nor weapons to fight them."

"Sir, with all respect. There's no need of that." Seras' pointy teeth framed her grin; she was already feeling the rush of the battle. "I can finish them off with my bare hands. Like Master did it."

"No. It's too dangerous."

"Don't worry, I'm a fully fledged vampire. They can't hurt me anymore."

"No."

"But-"

"I said no, Seras. I don't want to lose you!" She deadpan shut her up.

Then the Draculina realized her boss was worried for her, that they were the only thing left for each other, that if she lost focus in battle, Integra would have more problems that if they hadn't done anything at all. But she could feel it, there were people left in London's remains. If the ghouls found them, they would only swell their ranks.

"This morning I called my financial advisor, the London attack froze my stocks and the UK market, and I won't have access to my accounts for a while. However, tonight I'm attending a meeting with the Round Table; we shall get more funds from any other source. Aiden, Julius and Morris are the only soldiers left, but they will work for free as long as you don't push them too much. That's all, you can go, Officer Victoria Seras"

Seras nodded, trying to do not look too happy for her boss' allowance to go hunting. She stood up straight to salute. Grateful that she had a meal tonight even if Integra hadn't recovered from last night blood loss. The Draculina was passing out the room when her boss stopped her.

"By the way, Seras, our relationship won't go for that side. Understood?"

This time it was Seras who could swear was red like a tomato.

"Ye-yes, Sir!"

**Author's Note: Thank you for your advises. Yeah, I think Integra and Seras relationship can't be that kinky, if you consider them in character. Still I will receive any suggestion for this story. I hope you are liking it so far ;)**


	4. Third Day -Sunrise-

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano, except Duke, who was invented only for this fiction. This story is posted for free and there is no more benefit from it than reading the awesome reviews and getting loving faves ;)**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**Third Day -Sunrise-  
**

Several hours in a Round Table meeting, if that could be called a meeting at all with only Rob Walsh and her there, left Integra's discomfort on its highest. It was always about money, the fool didn't understand that rescuing mission and reception of international aid was exceptionally important, but it was nothing compared to the remaining ghouls' dispatch.

Seras has been working nonstop, she has proved to be a faithful fighter, but her recently awaken abilities were far from her Master's, and much to her dismay she had also her limits, she couldn't kill the creatures bare handed. Tonight she had gone to eradicate ghouls in Barnet, not far from Sir Irons' mansion, where they were staying, but considering the monsters are moving it was most likely they had already repopulated yesterday's mission in Brent; also she only had some ammunitions for her harkonnen remaining and her only reinforcements were the living members of the Wild Geese. It was frustrating the lack of support. London was no near its restoration if the few surviving ghouls had multiplied in hundreds in a matter of hours, and the remnants of the city were plagued with mindless monsters that no one was taking care of.

The trip back to the manor driving the limo by herself was miserable. Her lost eye still ached and the vision of London turned to shreds made her feel impotent. Buildings reduced to scrap and random people wandering in some deserted street with the glint of hope that their relatives were still alive. It was almost dawn, some yellow tint igniting the horizon.

At least the mansion was housing the most injured people it could. The noise of kids playing oblivious of the horrors around them greeted her, some people sat up from their stretchers to give her a good morning. The doctors were pleased to see her. A young man in white lab coat informed her that the most needed medical supplies had arrived half an hour ago. _At least a good new today._

Then an older doctor approached with a bewildered expression to inform there was someone waiting for her in the office.

"He arrived with the team in charge of bringing the medicine. He asked for a relative of his called Dracula." Integra's eye opened wide. Anyone using real Alucard's name was possible a threat. "But we haven't recorded yet all patients, and the house is over capacity. I didn't have the gut to send him back home at this hour, so I let him wait for talking to you."

Integra's mind turned a race between bad feelings and anger. The doctor had probably let inside a threat, and the least she needed was to deal with another intrusion like the Valentine brother's from some months ago. She rushed past the doctor to her makeshift office, the library, feeling the cold touch of her gun tucked under her arm, concealed by the jacket.

She opened the door with a kick and rolled on the floor, expecting to enter a room in complete darkness to meet with perhaps a vampire. Instead when she crouched with one knee on the floor, hand hold still halfway to the holster, a scared yelp stopped her from shooting. The unexpected visitor was in the complete opposite way of the scale of what she was expecting. Instead of the threatening vampire there was a tiny framed lean man sitting on the farthest place of the wide wooden table in the center of the room, shoulder taken aback by the surprise, his red bulging eyes fixed on her.

"Woa there! I a-a-am unarmed" saying this was an understatement as the man flashed a wide sharp toothed grin. He raised both arms leaving the hands by each side of his face.

"Who are you? Identify yourself" Integra had never been taken aback by a vampire; this strange visitor wouldn't be the exception. She took out the gun to point it at him. The man gasped.

"My...my n-name is Du-du-duke...please don't shot," the guy was trembling, for being a nosferatu he was pretty pathetic.

"Complete name."

"Du-duke Mi-mi-milford!" he closed his eyes shut turning his face to one side, expecting that saying his name deserved being shot.

"Duke? What a nosferatu might want in this place that is currently under Hellsing's protection?" she knew vampires were creatures with the power to allure, to decrease their victim's defense by using their charms. Honestly she was missing something because this little, wrinkled, pale man was everything but charming.

He looked away, annoyed of giving explanations to a simple human. She was far used to that face from when Alucard didn't consider her grown up enough for understanding some topics.

"I came to talk with Dracula."

_How much has it been since Alucard changed his name?_ Certainly since Van Helsing was alive; if she was facing all alone an ancient vampire, this was a very dangerous situation.

"Who sent you, vampire?"

"No one" he shrugged, matter of factly.

"You lie."

"Seriously, why do you think that?" he turned the head around, if not for having the hands up, he'd motion with them too.

There was no time to let her curiosity let slip her mind, she already knew the name. This would permit her to get more useful information later, but by the moment it was plain stupid to stay in the same room with the vampire. The vampire tried to stand up.

BANG!

The bullet hit directly to the heart. The air rested still. His face crumpling with pain as seconds passed by, he crouched grabbing with his left hand the bullet hole. A hiss from the beast along with his angered red eyes froze Integra, a reminder that the unthreatening person was actually a monster. Whom instead of turning dust by the blessed silver bullet, started... panting? A metallic _cling_ announced that the creature had expelled the pellet. Then he did the unexpected, he sobbed. To the Head of Hellsing's disarray, heavy drops of bloody tears were falling on the monster's cheeks.

"It hurts" he whined between hard closed teeth. "Why did you do that?"

Honestly Integra was more surprised that the man before her was not turning to dust. It was early in the morning, the moment he should be the weakest, and yet it had survived a silver BLESSED bullet. She just hoped the vampire wasn't angered enough to try to attack her, the five remaining bullets in her barrel might simply help her to escape but that would mean obliging to defended the house filled with injured people from a raged vampire. She glanced at the walls covered with bookshelves, damning her new office, for in the original she always had a handful of hidden weapons around. This was getting her nervous; _maybe it was the time to start dialogue?_

"I don't trust you, vampire, but I want to hear your reasons."

"And you have to say that _after_ shooting me?" the vampire looked at his now stained and leaky pink sweater. The pain seemed to have gone. "I'm telling you the truth; I came here to talk with Dracula."

"Go in detail about it." She ordered.

The vampire relaxed as she stood up, but immediately flinched when the gun pointed at him again. He looked uncomfortably to one side to the other on the floor, hesitating to talk; a click in the gun reminded him he was in no position to negotiate.

"I'm American, I was in my home country watching the news and heard about some attacks in London, and then I had this..." his almost visible eyebrows got closer in the vampire's face as he tried to find a fitting word "...feeling that something wrong was happening." His red eyes met hers, expecting that was a convincing explanation, which wasn't. He had to continue. "I was worried. I knew Dracula was living in England from a century ago, but I never got the desire to pay him a visit. You know these things happen, one doesn't find time in the agenda and when you finally have you don't have the energy to travel and so" he mused with the hands forgetting his position.

Integra raised an eyebrow. From her knowledge of vampire's behavior, they were lonely, territorial creatures. If two vampires meet in the same area they'd most likely try to kill each other. Therefore it was impossible to this vampire to get anyway near Alucard without the throat ripped open. If his idea was to establish a new territory in London, this vampire had made the dumbest choice in the world by coming directly to Alucard's house while he was _absent_.

She had never heard of something like this, but maybe it was a retarded nosferatu.

"Why Dracula, from all things?" She was not underestimating the intruder, any false movement and he'd have the brains blown out.

The vampire looked at his legs on the chair, then up to Integra, and pouted.

"You see...Dracula is...is my..." he lowered the head for finishing the phrase in a mumble.

"SPEAK MONSTER!"

"Is my sire!" he closed the eyes shut. "Well..._was_ my sire".

Again the ramblings in her head. Back in the times when she was a kid and had recently inherited the Hellsing household, she used to impose her newly acquired vampire a never ending amount of questions; from which kind of blood he preferred to some details about his past. At first, considering her a trustworthy Master, Alucard answered them all. However there were some nasty bits in his history that didn't meant to be shared. She presumed the nosferatu in front of her was part of them all, even when she had assumed her vampire had all his fledglings already dead. The last three his brides, killed by Abraham Van Helsing. Then what she was facing was a fully fledged undead, no longer owned by Alucard. Even so, she had never asked his servant if there was a still existent link between him and his old fledglings. Assuming Seras is still young she had thought it was more a matter of time than to blood.

"I see." She continued to her desk in the back part of the library with the gun pointing to the unwanted visitor. "And you expect me to take your declaration seriously? Vampires only change virgins of the OPOSITE sex. How could you explain that?" Once she sat on her chair the vampire started to rock back and forth, clearly uneasy for being pointed by the back.

"Well that's…" he trailed off, looking for an answer anywhere far from the gun point "none of your business."

BANG!

Another bullet, nearly in the same spot. The vampire yelped and started wimping like an injured dog. As it seemed this particular vampire was powerful but still sane, yet it didn't pose as much treat as expected. The sun was already up, it was just a matter of minutes before Seras'd show up to bid her a 'good day', as the joke had turned into a habit. Integra wasn't the type that needed help; even so this situation was too dangerous to fix it by herself.

Her sorry body was breaking in fatigue. She had been shooting ghouls all night. No overstatement here, _all the night!_ At the early morning hours her 'troops', reduced to Aiden, Jules and Morris, the only available boys from the Wild Geese after the attack to London, had ran out of ammo and she had to deal with the monsters with her bare hands. It was impressive how her newly awakened powers had reached that level. Of course her Master was far more powerful, therefore she was eager to discover in what she could turn with time. But not that morning, in that moment she only wanted to stretch out in her coffin to forget the city was a pile of debris populated by ghouls and probably hidden coward Nazi vampires that they were yet to find. She was covered in mud, debris and blood; somehow this made her feel proud.

Even with the windows carefully polarized, the morning sun was pitching on her face through the van's window was making her feel a headache, she growled unexpectedly.

"Is something wrong, Captain?" Morris was busy cleaning his rifle, he didn't want to give the impression he had been seeing the Draculina's actions.

"Oh shut up Morris, you know it's early in the morning and the captain needs to rest."

Jules threw a heavy blanket over the girl. Sometimes she wondered why they had turned that paternal side on her when they had already seen her aggressiveness in combat.

"It's nothing. I'm a little upset for our small progress tonight."

Concealed in the darkness Seras realized she was feeling better. The van's movement was somewhat relaxing and in a matter of minutes they'd be in the mansion, ready for the new day that was coming.

"Don't worry Captain, Sir Hellsing went tonight to a Round Table meeting, wasn't she? They'd probably give us more weapons and some men, things will go faster with that."

"Hum, yeah... that would be nice." Deep inside she didn't believe these words, it was more likely the round table to decide to leave the destruction of the ghouls aside. London was too broken for caring about some monsters wandering in evacuated areas.

With just one foot on the mansion's grounds Seras realized something. It was like an electric current along her spine, the same feeling she had had when Alucard arrived to London on the ship, but somewhat different. Was his Master back? She was pretty sure he was still somewhere but not exactly sure, maybe he was anywhere; those thoughts had rambled on her mind since the day he disappeared. Therefore there was this small hint he might be back in a different way and maybe it's what she was experiencing.

She rushed to Integra's office, feeling her heart pump faster with every step. The undeniable aroma of Alucard mixed in an odd way was turning stronger.

"Master!" her eyes gleaming with joy changed into confusion when focusing on the owner of the essence. A small vampire sitting on the farthest chair on the table, well trimmed white hair, and a pink sweater stained in red on the chest were the most remarkable characteristics on him.

Both stared each other for about one minute. Seras getting closer slowly for analyzing him better.

Appearance was the least important when talking about Alucard, and the aura was similar; however her mind rolled with the idea that the man before her wasn't him. There was no way this person could be Alucard. It didn't matter the similarities in the allure, _this guy is not my master!_

"Dracula?" the tender tone of the intruder took her off. "I'm not sure, is that you?"

"Officer Victoria" Integra brought her back to reality, actually she didn't notice her boss was in there, and pointing her gun at the intruder no less. "I had my doubts about the statements of this person, but by judging your reaction I may assume they are all true."

"Ah...eh?" Seras saw how Sir Hellsing put the gun back on her holster to stand up.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting your name." Integra addressed to the vampire while lighting a cigar.

The man seemed utterly offended.

"Duke Milford" the intruder muttered while taking out of his pocket a presentation card to hand it to Seras. She was so in shock that couldn't take the eyes out of the stranger for reading the card on her hands.

"Here you go. Seras, let me introduce you..." she paused, probably looking for the right words "...your brother."

Seras jaw dropped to the floor. As far a she remembered she was single daughter. _Wait, does she mean with Master? Actually, I'm not HIS daughter. Maybe that's why she was looking for a word, but I don't think there is one._

"So to make a point...you are not Dracula?" the little man half smiled resting one elbow on the other hand.

"Ah? No!" the Draculina was still in shock.

"Pwef, what a relief. I thought Dracula had decided to change his appearance, yet your aura is different to his. Shall I assume you are his fledging?"

"Yes!... I mean...I was!" why was she answering this guy was out of her understanding. The man had this power over her; maybe because he was an older vampire, she could feel that.

"Then nice to meet you." his sharp toothed smile seemed sincere. He turned to Integra warily. "It seems Dracula is not _available _to talk with me?"

"That information is not for sharing with you." Integra made the guy flinch with only her words.

"Fine I'll go, in case Dracula returns would you give me a call to the number in my card? It doesn't matter if it's a collect call," he turned away then he added with sarcasm "and _thank you _for the bullet shot, my seamstress _will love_ what you did with my Armani."

"I'm afraid we can't do that mister." Sir Integra pulled out some smoke.

"Well, the card has also my e-mail..." he added. Seras looked then at the card, she gasped. Duke Midford was the owner of the international supermarket chain 'Market Off' "ok whatever, I may come in here any other time" he waved goodbye dismissively while going out of the room.

"Seras pin him down" Integra's cold orders took her off. She caught it when the guy was halfway in the hallway. She jumped over him grabbing his right arm back. He struggled, but somehow this vampire was weakened, so she didn't have to press a lot. "Drag him back."

"Wait! Why!" the guy pleaded while being pulled by the feet, his pointy nails leaving a trace on the rug as Seras took him to the room again.

**Author's Note: After finishing this chapter I realized it's HUGE. So, chopping it in edible bites was in order. There was a lot of hesitation about introducing Duke in the story —I mean, this was originaly the plan, but as the other chapters developed it looked kinda out. Anyway, this story is about Integra and Seras, it's only I think they forcibly need to meet more people involved in their lives. Some characters will stay by their side, some others won't. **

**I'm still accepting any request or idea. Whatever comes in your mind would help to develop a new idea of my own —though you will get credit ;)**

**Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews. Specially to Karly101 and Mr. Lupin d^o^b**


	5. Third Day -Morning-

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano, except Duke Milford, whom was invented only for this fiction. This story is posted for free and there is no more benefit from it than reading the awesome reviews and getting loving faves ;)**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**Third Day -Morning-**

When Seras showed the presentation card to Integra, none of them could believe it, but there was something more important to take care of. The newcomer was a vampire, the mansion had neither restrictions nor protection, which guest were injured, innocent people. This mansion was in no way like Hellsing's, therefore it lacked of good places to conceal a vampire. The only possible places were a single basement that was unavailable due to being used as cellar; and the attic, where Seras was already staying. An urgent calling to the blacksmith and the carpenter, and by dawn they got new thick chains attached to the concrete wall. Sir Irons wouldn't be happy knowing a second vampire was kept in his attic, but she had settled he already had too many worries to trouble him adding one more to the list.

"Let's hope Sir Irons doesn't mind." Integra muttered to herself while looking the other end of the chains, thicker cuffs rested around the newcomer's wrist and neck.

The cuffs had been carefully carved with a makeshift spell. They could have gotten a coffin for the night but the vampire was more comfortable asking only for a mattress on the floor. He seemed calmer than the situation he had gotten himself into should make him. As if he had some human rights, he asked for a call. A first round of questions started, to check test if he was really who assumed to be.

"Do you think I will let go a menace like you to terrorize England?"

"This is not nice, you know?" the vampire was more nervous than angry when realized that no one cared about his rights. "I'm not hurting anyone, I even brought provisions because I care the people in here."

"Wait a minute..." actually, Integra thought, this impromptu visitant was the answer to all her problems. "Doesn't your market have a side branch for military supplies?"

"Yes, we supply medical equipment, soldier's rations, things like that." He looked away, not so proud of his military branch.

"And weapons?"

"We don't manufacture them, but there's an agreement with the government for the retailing of assault rifles for personal use, nothing too fancy."

* * *

They left him behind; sure the restrictions were enough for the weakened vampire. Back in Integra's makeshift office, Seras was pacing back and forth. By calling the right people, even at these ungodly hours, Integra had scraped together information out of the presentation card the vampire had given them. Turns out that a nasty vampire was the owner of a supermarket chain, along with a brand of several grocery products. It made sense why he had arrived to the mansion with the medical supplies. Also, he had explained he was from Pennsylvania, perhaps there were more vampires in America and no one was getting rid of them. What worried her most was, _if he had been Alucard's fledging, did it mean her servant had turned him a couple of years back? When the government of the United States had asked Hellsing to help with a plague of werewolves in Clallam? No, this vampire was an ancient one. _Things were turning more complicated. She had already too much to think, this was an unnecessary nuisance. Her eye was starting to ache from all the stress. It was early in the morning and she hadn't yet gone to sleep.

Integra lit a cigar from the box she had found in the desk drawer. Considering Sir Irons had long quit smoking, maybe he had ordered for them just for her. Expecting the tobacco to ease her nerves, after finishing the first one she realized that was no way near possible. She grabbed a second one.

"Could you stop?" She menaced her subordinate while throwing furiously the cigar's butt on the ashtray.

Seras looked at her nervously.

"Hum...Sir." Her lost arm was a shaky black form on the verge of losing its shape. "I was wondering if... if you want me to... hum... finish him... off?"

Actually, this took her aback. She never expected Seras to think that way. Maybe she had misjudged her subordinate. Considering she was Alucard's fledging, she expected Seras to fight tooth and nail, figuratively speaking, for letting the new vampire to stay.

Integra remember then. It was a joyous and rewarding time, despite lack of joy and reward. The police girl had arrived on his arms, completely changed and award of that change. The night had been distressing, so they let her some space for resting in the limo. Alucard took a seat holding his new fledging, Integra sat beside him. Walter started the engine and drove back to the mansion in deadly silence; though through his passive smirk she knew he was taking off of the situation.

"You broke your bidding..." she mustered conversation after a couple of miles on route.

"I didn't have a choice, Master. I shoot through her to get rid of the target." There was a hasty tone in his explanation,

"I see... so it was impossible to you to move faster than the priest to retrieve the hostage; or calling upon you familiar for attacking him from behind." She spat with sarcasm, raising her voice with each alternative "YOU HAD to use your gun when you know you can kill with your bare hands—"

"—it was her decision after all!" Alucard cut across up tightly, his concern was genuine. Integra was about to calling him out for the sudden outburst against his master, but she kept it to herself when the vampire continued. "Master... I've served your family for more than one century... your predecessors stripped me from everything I owned." He brushed Seras' hair, tangling trends between his gloved fingers. Integra could see the love sight on his gaze towards the newborn vampire. It wasn't lust; it was sheer appreciation on the girl's bare existence. "Please, Master." His voice was barely audible, like he was losing a part of his pride with the utter expression of those words. "At least once, concede me to have something of mine."

Even if Integra didn't approve the Alucard's conception of the girl belonging to him like an object, she knew vampires' relationships were far from her comprehension. The girl, officer Seras Victoria, sleep in oblivion of how much trouble her transformation would come; how much paperwork and Round Table meetings would cost.

"If you allow me, Sir Integra" Walter finally decided to talk. "Miss Seras has police training, she could give me a hand with the soldiers."

The old man always knew what to say. He was the voice of reason in the trio, after all.

"Acknowledge." It was a two versus one, and despite how much she wanted to impose her authority to Alucard, there were no more reasons left for saying no. "Alucard, she will be under your jurisdiction and training."

Curious thing, Alucard grinned. Not like the sadistic maniac he used to, but more like a kid when his parents grant him to keep a stray puppy.

"Thank you, Master!"

"But if you turn someone else aside of this girl, consider yourself locked in the basement again, AFTER getting rid of your fledgling yourself!" A guttural laugh from her servant showed he was taking fun of her distress, but she knew he would take the warning seriously. "That's an order, Alucard."

"Yes, my Master." And he left her fledgling's side to knee on the limo floor and kissed the back of her right hand.

Back to reality, when Seras called out her name. Integra cursed she was missing the vampire bastard and composed herself.

"No need, Seras." Integra could see the same childish smile on her subordinate. Maybe their relationship was not as strong as the one Seras shared with Alucard, but the draculina certainly had some sympathy for the chained up vampire. "We need him for getting provisions. Besides, I'll trust your insight that he's no danger for England."

Seras nodded.

"Thank you, Sir."

"And I trust that if he turns a danger, for our country's sake, Seras, you shall terminate him." There was pure ice in her voice. The Draculina wasn't happy with the decision.

"I'll do it, Sir."

* * *

Once granted his last and only request, the vampire called someone named Jack explaining that his stay in London will be delayed; moreover he wanted that person to send him more clothing. As if vampires couldn't manifest their own! Odd vampire. Also, he talked about his assets and some soon to be signed contracts. Some of them related to provide more aid to England, including in this round some hundreds of sets of rifles.

Seras' sharp ear caught everything from other side of the line; for the newcomer distress she repeated what Jack said loud voice for Integra to know it was a safe conversation. She even repeated when the person in America told the vampire 'I love you'.

Integra flinched, the guy before her was a decaying vampire. Disgusting to think someone found him endearing. More so if before hanging up the vampire sent some goodbye kisses by the line to the other person.

"You know? Vampires nowadays are not servants of the devil. We are almost in the XXI century, get over it." He pierced her with the sight, obviously mad for the intrusion in his conversation, especially because he was helping them for getting more ammunition and weapons.

"I can assure you, I've been through a lot for even consider your way of thinking." Sir Hellsing lighted her cigar and paused until she took a heavy stroke to it.

"Then how long are you planning to keep me chained in here?"

"Until you prove you are not a threat to England."

The vampire sighed letting his body fall on the mattress.

"At least will you bring me something to eat? You may already know what I eat."

"Officer Victoria will take charge of that." Integra looked at her subordinate, Seras stood straight hitting her heels and saluting. "Now I'm going to catch some hours of sleep. Good day Miss Victoria and... I keep forgetting your name."

"It's Duke! Duke Milford!" he hissed, not as afraid as he was just hours ago.

Once her boss left, Seras could rest at ease. All the struggle of the night, all the tension of the apparition of this new vampire. First she had thought Integra wanted her to get rid of him. She had killed vampires before, her first prey that blue haired teenager from her first days in Hellsing, but back then she didn't feel a bit of guilt. However, the idea of killing this man made her stomach ache. He had this appearance of helplessness, and yet the aura of Alucard. The remnants of her human senses couldn't cheat her vampire ones, but she wanted to go cautious.

"Are you really Master's childe?" Sitting on her coffin, Seras looked at her new roommate, who was scratching under the cuffs.

"Yes. As you are, there's no point in asking what it's obvious." He shrugged and continued with the scratching. "These things surely itch!" he growled.

Seras rested eyes fixed on him. Why had Master never told her about him? Didn't he trust her enough? She walked to the minibar on one side of the room, placed exclusively for her. Seras was so tired she craved for a good bag of blood. She took two instead, handing one to her unknown relative. He looked at the bag for some seconds like she was showing him a weird bug. The he grabbed it hesitant.

"It's cold."

"Well, it was in the fridge." She rolled up her eyes while opening her bag. She was so hungry that half the bag content went swallowed before she could enjoy the meal. "Maybe it's not my business but... I heard you never asked for your coffin?" Seras blushed mentioning what she had overheard earlier on his phone call.

He was still piercing the blood with the eyes, it looked like from one moment to the other the package would melt with his ridiculous gaze.

"I don't like sleeping in coffins. I don't even know where mine is. It's not that the ground inside it relates anyway to my home grounds." Then he explained that he used to carry some Romanian ground mixed with some of Pennsylvania, just to make the mix fair.

"Why Master never talked me about you?" It hurt to pose the question.

He looked up at her, saddened red eyes met hers.

"Because he despises me." He ripped the bag open. "You know unwanted children happen? Well, I was an accident."

Seras didn't finish the bag. She stopped before sipping the last gulp.

"How long was it?"

"I don't exactly remember. Maybe a couple of centuries ago." He let her continue the meal while showing he didn't mind eating it cold. "I was a scholar studying in the seminary. My father's friend, and tutor, invited me some months to the Karpathos; there he was spreading _our_ word of God to the Catholics. I wandered off one night, and met Dracula in my stroll. He thought I wasn't a virgin, who would be at my age anyway? The next thing I remember was him pacing before me in his castle's parlor, he was growling and mumbling, not so happy that I had turned a vampire."

Seras pictures the scene inside her head. Actually it was funny.

"And what happened then?"

"I lived with him for about a year. Then my tutor found me, he was certain I was suffering some illness and that we had to go back to America." He clenched his fist. "I asked Dracula for my freedom, maybe expecting him to say no as he used to do with his other fledglings, but he gave it away as if I was doing him a favor."

Seras pondered what to say. She wouldn't like to be in the same situation. When turned she woke up the next night surrounded by people. Her Master by her side, Integra, and Walter. So loved, so welcomed; she couldn't picture how her Master could have given the cold shoulder to his own kin. However considering how Alucard enjoyed killing vampires maybe it was plausible.

"Master is not here." She paused. "If Sir Integra allows it, consider yourself part of the family." She grinned manically, red eyes gleaming.

He smiled back after sucking the last of his bag. The blood was not doing much for his withered appearance.

"I'll... take that to account."

* * *

Sir Hellsing only managed to reel under the blankets, being too wary for dozing off more than a short nap. Even in that pitiful estate, there was an Alucard's childe more in the house, more so in a house that doesn't belonged to her! Realizing this day she'd have to skip sleep time, she returned to the attic. It was early in the morning but the sun had already risen.

Her hand on holster, she felt unsure of what to find in there. Seras was young; she could have been easily manipulated for a more experienced vampire. She pushed the door pointing to the well lit place. She had completely forgotten the wide circular window on the mansion's facade. Seras was safe from the sunlight in her coffin, then a hunch of guilt bit the Head of Hellsing. More worried than afraid she stumbled up the stairs for checking on the vampire whose name she couldn't recall. He was a completely concealed bump under a thick blue canvas. She mused before daring to remove the covering. What she found relieved her. The vampire was there, sleeping soundly on a balled up position, she leaned to his face to confirm there even was a trail of saliva falling by the corner of his lips. Odd vampire, arriving to a vampire hunter's organization quarrels, letting himself to sleep openly under sunlight. Not awaken yet he frowned by the unwanted amount of light. Integra put the canvas back. Maybe she was overreacting.

**Author's Note: Almost finished with the odd vampire's ark. I haven't read yet a story about Integra's reaction towards Seras' arrival to the ****_family_****. Maybe my search hadn't gone deep enough, though a simple dialogue was in order to create the resembling situation. I'm sorry if Alucard it's not portaited perfectly, it's such a complicated character! Also, this story follows the manga, which was more in the comical side the first chapters. **

**Thank you for the reviews and followings. **

** Jo: I'm glad you get the feeling of that scene. There will be some others, but nothing serious with them. I mean, they are friends at the end of the manga, not lovers, but considering how sexual vampires are, who knows? ;)**

** Mr. Lupin: Claro que puedes comentar en español, así sería más fácil contestarte xD**


	6. Third Day -Afternoon-

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano, except Duke Milford, whom was invented only for this fiction. I'm not profiting of this, this is just made for fun.**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**Third Day -Afternoon- **

She wondered how come Alucard had made a male vampire into his childe, the more she thought about it, and the more ridiculous it was. That was probably the reason her servant never spoke a word of the matter. She had learnt some about the No Life King's past, she had heard the unrevealed stories from him, and from all those, not a single time he had mentioned... _what was his name? Nevermind._

There was a sleeping unsealed vampire in a mansion which she didn't have the right to let a monster in. Integra was trying to regain trust, _since Walter's betrayal had done wonders with her nerves!_ She thought sarcastically, there was no place for sarcasm out of her mind, but it was the only way she had found to manage the fact that she had realized how much hurt to talk about the traitor butler. She knew she had to trust Seras, the Draculina could manage the puny vampire the moment he goes wild; she had promised. This situation had left her in a bind; she had to trust a complete stranger, and a vampire, no less. It was so much to take.

Nor that she was afraid of her security. Realizing how awfully shaped the vampire was, even after his nightly meal, Integra wondered what kind of life (or un-life?) that person was having in America? A rich country where folk tales are taken more like fairy tales, he could gorge a new prey every night with no one ever noticing. And yet he was grayish like recycled paper. Why he hadn't talked about his coffin in that sole granted telephone call from last night. In the quietness of her office, she considered calling again to the same number. Her thumb waited halfway the redial button; it could be intruding in someone else's privacy. She pressed it unhesitant; this was a matter of a dangerous vampire, unwelcomed in England. It was her responsibility the moment he had stepped on Sir Irons's mansion and she had let him stay. In the line she could hear the tones dialing some unknown number, considering the quantity of digits it must have been long distance.

"Hello?" A deep male voice answered at the other side of the line. It was almost like listening to a baritone through the speaker, thus it was hard to guess the age of this person.

"Mister Jack, I assume?"

"Who's calling?"

"Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing, head of the Hellsing household." She had 'eavesdropped' the vampire's conversation. He had mentioned that Hellsing would take charge of him for a while. Perhaps this person was thinking the vampire was having an amusement trip, and Hellsing was a travel agency.

The man on the other side of the line sighed, then with a somewhat relieved voice said.

"Jack Clemens, what can I do for you Miss Hellsing?"

Integra didn't like to be called Miss, although this was the only time she'd let it slide.

"It's about..." Integra dead pan stopped, _she didn't remember the vampire's name for God sake! _The pause lasted longer than expected, while her mind wandered among dozens of male American names; she knew the vampire's name it was something related to the noblesse, _Prince, maybe? _

"It's about Duke isn't it?" Jake saved her the trouble. "He likes to mess with people's mind. If he doesn't like you, you most likely won't remember his name."

_So that was it!_ Integra thought. After all, the newcomer was not much different than his creator. To play mind games and driving her insane was Alucard's daily fun, and it seemed Duke was in the same chord. Integra didn't need to say a word, the man on the other side of the line continued.

"When he called yesterday I knew he had messed up something," there was a pitch of concern among the annoyance of his words "but he's so spoiled that I decide he deserves a taste of his own medicine. Going to England by himself, with what's happening in there... no offense." His rant resembled to one of a concerned parent.

Integra smirked; at least this could save her a lot of explanation.

"None taken. Shall I understand you already know he's not human?"

"Yes, I know he's a vampire." He spat out. "And I already know you're a vampire hunting organization. I have my contacts, and no matter how appealing Duke disguises it, his lies are always blatant." This last statement was more like an advice for Integra.

"And you are worried by his security?" She had the impression that this man was more interested about the people in the mansion to get along with the vampire.

"He'll be fine. He'll learn to survive the tough way." More silence behind the line. The man voice started to tremble. "He doesn't like medical blood, he'd rather lick a small wound tenderly than drink a large amount. Please... don't hurt him, he might think inhuman thoughts but that's his nature, and he doesn't mean any word he says."

"Am I right that you are implying us to take care of your vampire?" Integra teased, though her voice was cold. "This is not charity Mister, as you already know our targets are the member's of Duke's kin, not a foster home for them."

"Do I have an option? Besides, he's not a pet; he's my... loved one." When Integra heard this a shiver ran along her spine. What were the Americans thinking? How someone could fall in love with such creature was beyond her. Tamed they could be useful, loyal, trustworthy. The vampires were charming creatures, but that was exactly what made them dangerous. In freedom, they were only a menace. She wondered if her musings were fair since her relationship with Alucard had been so close, however immediately after she set aside those ideas. Alucard was her servant, a tamed beast. She wasn't at any risk while living with him, for the bonds protected her from any harm; that was not the case with this man Jack, he was at continuous perils while living with a free vampire.

"What about the coffin?"

"Coffin?" His voice panicked, like he had imagined the vampire was already a pile of ashes. "What do you mean by coffin?"

"You know, vampires sleep in coffins. Is your... partner's coffin with you?"

There was a long pause the other side of the line. No wonder the vampire was so aged and decaying; it only consumed a mouthful of blood per week and never slept in his coffin.

"I remember now, there's a coffin hidden in a compartment under our bed! Duke's is not very fond of that thing, and honestly it gives me the creeps, even so he said he wanted it in there. Does he need it?"

"I'm afraid yes. His poor state is due to not sleeping inside it." Integra could hear the gasp coming from the other side of the line. "Could you send it to us? I'll leave you the address."

"Of course. I'll send it today as extra urgent package!"

By dusk the coffin had arrived to Sir Irons's mansion. It was someway surprising receiving a Fisk metallic coffin on the entrance. The design was an enclosed, air-tight space with an imitation mahogany finish; there was a curious window on its lid for seeing the white linen inside, and possibly the deceased's face when it was occupied. Certainly American, but hasn't Mister Clements explained the vampire had this coffin since his tuning in Transylvania? Did it mean Dracula had gotten someone to build an American coffin in Romania? Considering how indulging Alucard was with Seras, this meant her servant had a career spoiling their children since long time ago.

**Author's Note: And TA DA! Sorry for the delay! So far I haven't been in the mood for writing fanfiction, of course this doesn't mean I'm dropping the project. I wanted Integra to make a point about why she was right with Alucard but Duke and Jack were wrong. Integra and Alucard relationship is still complicated to me :/**

**We'll probably won't see Jack in person in a while (for the characters it will be years). **

* * *

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**Two weeks**

Duke was an odd vampire. Seras could see some smidge of her Master's deranging in him but that was it. It was baffling how he preferred to set aside his vampire antics to act human and yet rejoice of the no life. He yelped when saw his coffin lying next to him the night after his arrival, Integra had to push him inside and close the lid tight. Seconds later he was sleeping like a log. Also, his... beloved Jack, had embarked with the coffin most of his wardrobe. Vampires didn't need clothing, they'd form it!

Duke used to 'exist' in the verge of his health, refraining to drink blood from a plastic bag mostly because he didn't like the taste, unless it had flavor. This was the most unusual thing she would have even seen, the vampire liked to add vanilla, mint, even chocolate to his meals. She was bemused with someone of her kin not liking the blood taste at all. Probably that was why Master was so pissed with him as a fledgling.

His inner clock was all messed up, usually going to sleep at noon and waking up until midnight.

He didn't fancy war, a jumpy mouse was a better description for him. But Sir Integra had found him very useful with the paperwork. He used to run a company, but now that he was on a sort of retirement and his CEO was taking care of his finances he didn't mind helping the Hellsing household with managing the mansion's reparations, the accountability and the acquirement of more international aid for the victims.

And lastly in his list of oddities, the bath. Vampires never take baths, water is not exactly an element of their liking. Besides they don't need them, they can dematerialize themselves for removing the dirt, and they don't sweat; and yet Duke loved to take a hot water shower every night.

"Are you sure about this _Mignonette_?" Pip spoke softly to her, his familiar was literally a shadow on the sink, his holding of the camcorder gave the impression the device was floating. Seras chuckled, peeking out from her squished position in the bathroom cabinet. "He might notice my presence and..."

Seras shushed him. Eyes shining with expectation, amused smile flashing her pointy teeth. Duke hadn't been drinking a lot of blood recently, his senses were numbed, and he was down guard most of the time. He wouldn't notice them even if he pushed himself to do it.

As expected, the vampire entered the bathroom shrugged in a pistachio green towel. Seras put her hand on her mouth, killing her chortles. Then she peeked at the camcorder's screen, the angle was perfect.

Moving the shower door aside Duke got in, carefully placing his towel on the rack outside before enclosing himself. The glass door didn't give any privacy, but Seras didn't mind seeing him naked at all.

As he turned the hot water tab, Seras could swear her dead heart was beating madly with anticipation.

A piercing shriek made Integra lost grip of her not-yet-turned-on cigar. It was coming from..._the bathroom?_ She ran through the hallways admonishing everyone in her way to stay out in safety. Her grip strengthened on the sword's hold. She stumbled upon the door ready to act, and then her eye opened like a hover.

Before her Duke was completely naked, thrashing madly, snarling and cursing between mumbles. His skin was turning black as white steam exuded from his body. He had slammed on each wall of the room leaving scorched trails of skin on them and it seemed he couldn't stop. Seras and Pip were rolling in laughter, the Draculina had bent holding her chest, and her familiar had fallen on the floor shape completely visible. A split-second made her realize what had happened.

"Officer Victoria" she roared. Mind numbed with pain and resentful rage, Duke dashed towards Integra. Seras snapped, pinning him down too late, as his assault reached their boss and a long scratch along her cheek had formed.

Seras gasped, and as odd as it might be, the smell of blood brought Duke back to reality. The elder vampire clumsily stood up apologizing over and over; befuddled, somewhat angry and flushed, as he covered his private parts with the near towel.

"Victoria. My office. NOW!" Integra roared while cleaning her cheek with toilet paper. Seras flinched and headed like a scared puppy behind her boss.

Like a little girl who had been just busted, she defended herself at last saying.

"I was Pip's idea!" Her worried voice muffled in the basement corridors.

Duke was at shock. His body still burning for the blessed water someone had thrown over him while showering. He heard some chuckle beside him. Pip stayed there as a shadow filming everything.

"Well I had my doubts, but it was a good prank after all."

**Author's Note: I decide to make both chapters together because they fit the same arc. When he was in the Wild Geese, I bet Pip used to prank a lot his soldiers. He might have been the Master mind, but Seras was a great executioner. **

**By the way, I've discovered it's easier for me to make short stories than form a complete arc per update, would you like me to update shorter chapters more frequently, or it's ok with the long chapters?**


	7. First Week

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano. Except Duke, Mary & Ann, which are of my invention. Barnabas is not exactly an OC, you'll later understand ;) **

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**First week**

The arrival to the new mansion with the other kids was the best thing that could have happened to Barnabas. While the others were weeping around for their lost families, this kid was rejoicing that some mighty force had made fall a wooden beam on his abusive uncle. For the first time in his short decade of life he was truly free and it's was the moment to enjoy the abridged remnants of his innocence. Of course life would never take an expected course like his long deceased mother used to say, sweetening the intangible destiny with the word _fate_. But he was eager to discover every inch of his new home in the hope that the future would be brighter than his past. The house was packed with interesting people, strange scents and forgotten corners. The place was the perfect example of an old house with secret passages. So far he had discovered one to the attic from his room, even if the adults hadn't let him use it for some unknown reason. The little girls didn't like to play with him because they used to say he was creepy, but he didn't mind it, it was easier to explore by oneself. Sometimes he wandered outside, getting sure of keeping his path nearest to the mansion. Some others he stayed home looking the busy life of the others pass before his eyes. Among those idle days, in one of his wandering to the kitchen, he met Ann.

"Miss Ann." The woman corrected every now and then since was she had appointed him to help her with the chores. The boy had gone tired of wander in the halls filled with human misery, all the time by himself because the other little boys called him meanie for being happy for the massacre in London.

"Please call me _Mrs_ Ann, why can't we enter in the library? The other day we were watching TV and Mister Peterson took us the remote saying 'children should not be watching this, go and pick a book'. And then he shooed us out of the living room. We weren't watching it, we were playing doll house with Elena, and TV wasn't even interesting!" The boy pouted, upset for they had stopped broadcasting cartoons, replacing them with a 24/7 news show.

Ann handed him some folded blankets. Most guest were capable to do their beds themselves, however some others were in so severe condition they had to change blood stained bedding almost daily. They walked through the halls saying hi to every person in their way, it had turned routine, and it gave the mansion a warm feeling.

"Lad- _Sir_ Integra is using the library as a temporary office," Ann couldn't get accustomed to address a young woman with such title, not that she was getting used to have a new master anyway. "Why don't you ask her in the place of fussing at me?"

The first room they had to clean out had about fifteen cramped people. The queen size bed was shared by eight women in terrible condition; they spent most of their time sleeping... or unconscious. Ann bit her lower lip in frustration, the Sir had been calling out every hospital in London to treat those poor women, but the aid was longing to arrive. Upon her arrival, some other women in better shape stood up from the couch, the other side of the room, and help the boy with the blankets. There were two more resting their backs against a wall, their only bedding a quilt. This last one started to remove the most injured women from the bed like it had turned a routine.

"How are you doing, Barnaby?" Mrs Davis looked at him with watery eyes, her talking nothing more than a whistle. He didn't like people to call him that fondly, it made him remember his mother. But he let the woman do so, probably for the same reason.

They put her down among the other women in the quilt.

"Today I'm asking Mrs Integra for a book. Everything is so boring here!"

"It's _Miss_ Integra, Barnabas." Ann corrected while changing the blood stained blankets. Then she changed topic "I heard she's contracted a new manager of sorts some days ago, he's at her office all day, I'm wondering if it could be better to assign him a permanent room in the mansion. I expected Sir Integra to give me instructions but she hasn't yet and I'm worried."

"Have you seen him? Maybe he has the looks..." Coralline Evans had just been widowed, not that she was happy about it, but she liked to take things from the bright side.

"I saw him the other day, it's an old man." Barnabas prompted with a shaky voice at the end of the explanation. "He was walking by the hall with the Lady in Red."

Ann finished the bed and helped to carry again the women from the quilt to the bed.

"I've told you a million times, that Lady in Red doesn't exist. It's just your imagination."

"Of course it's real. She has red eyes, and when she doesn't want people to find her, she changes to a shadow." The boy remembered that one night he went down to snatch a glass of milk from the fridge and found the Lady in Red sitting on the kitchen table, sucking at a bag of medical blood. It was just a glimpse, the next second she had disappeared in the darkness, only the overwhelming feeling of being watched was left behind.

"Such a lively imagination you have, boy." An old Madame with burnt spotting on her face, patted him on the messy boy's white hair. Then she addressed to Ann. "And what does Sir Integra says about this?"

"I haven't asked her. Why would I? He's just inventing stories because he likes to be afraid." Ann continued, mockingly "Maybe I could ask her to introduce this Lady in Red to you."

"No!" His plea almost choked him. Point taken he liked scary things; this female in red dress was the most frightful thing he had ever faced. "It's a spirit that possesses Mrs Integra; sometimes she hides in my closet."

When the new owner arrived, the same day he did with the children from the orphanage. The tanned, Indian like woman, ordered her soldiers to take down a big box from the jeep. Barnabas saw it, it was a coffin. At first he thought she was carrying with a deceased family member; but the woman had never set a funeral, nor even had buried the box. The next night, in his daily wander, he saw Miss Integra go up to the attic and spent all the night in there. After all, Barnabas shared room with her, along with the other orphans. Miss Integra almost never arrived to sleep, or did it at hours he should be sleeping, which made the boy wonder if she ever sleep at all.

However, some arguments later the boy realized those women were only teasing at him for their own amusement and set aside the subject of the Lady in Red for someone who cared about. Ann asked a couple of questions to the women before heading out of the room. Barnabas was happy to leave before the arrival of the new staff doctor who gave him the creeps. It hadn't anything to do with the man being legless, more so it was the guy had this military air that resembled a lot to his late uncle.

Barnabas and Ann continued their round of chores for hours. In the mansion, every person had a task to help with, unless you were one of the most injured ones, but even with the extra hands it was still a tiresome job for the maids. After the beds there was job in the kitchen, to feed all the people in the mansion that weren't able to come down to the dining room, which meant going upstairs with food trays five times or more. Mary was in charge of dinner preparations and was a demanding boss. Sometimes too bossy for the boy's taste, as she ordered him to help also with the dishes. But the boy was so energetic that by the end of the day he was still fine enough to want to play. The other kids didn't share his enthusiasm, most of them worn out by their feeling of lost than from anything else. So, he asked Ann when she would take him to Mrs Integra, so he could get permission to enter the library.

"It's your lucky day... well... night" Ann removed her apron to hang it on the wall after arranging the last plate on the shelf. "Sir Integra wants to introduce us the new mansion manager just now."

"Oh Ann, are you expecting to take the boy with us?" Mary rolled her eyes; she had entered just in time for hearing the proposal.

"I want to ask Mrs Integra for a book."

"It's _Miss_, Barnabas." Ann corrected for the unkempt time, and then she motioned to her workmate. "He wants permission to enter the library and snatch a book, what would be the problem? Anyway, I wouldn't like him to disturb Sir Integra in their room."

Mary nodded reluctantly and let it go.

"Whatever, just clean your face, kid."

* * *

Another busy day led to another terrible night. The fact of having that wild vampire free in her domains simply had gotten into her nerves. Every Night she had the eyes wide open with a strong grab on her holster, ready to fire in the earliest provocation, and that was something that in long term would end up killing her. Duke was still working as the usual, it had been some tiresome days since his arrival, and not that she had had a lot for hiding him. He was the most unobtrusive vampire ever; no one would ever notice that the owner of a multinational supermarket chain was working as secretary mostly because he looked like one of those affected by the attacks. More else, as a nosferatu he was excellent at cloaking his real condition, wearing sunglasses with the excuse of having hyper sensibility to light due to an explosion at his home. More else, he had this strange habit of going to sleep late, which meant he was awaken most part of the morning. This was particularly useful so far for his knowledge in management made him a good ally when it came to understand financial statements and stock invoicing, however Integra knew that in the future that would bring troubles for keeping the creature under control.

This specific night his office's floor was packed of files around Duke's legs, he was immersed in the management of local aid, making calls to several NGOs to share out what the France government had sent them. Integra was satisfied with the productivity of the man, thanks to his interventions she was starting to focus in the real goal of her organization. Seras had gone for another night of hunting and had returned with an outcome of three vampires. Things were slowly taking their right place when someone knocked at the office door. She knew who was it so she let Ann and Mary come in; the older woman was pushing a tray car with a tea set and some appetizers.

"Good night Sir." Ann saluted with her perky attitude. "I thought you would like to supper something earlier as you've been working nonstop since yesterday night."

"Good night." Mary blunted, still hurt for their first argument "_Sir_."

"As I summoned you, let me introduce the new medical aid supplier and international aid manager..." Integra paused, damning the vampire for not allowing her to remember his name.

Duke stood up briefly to shake hands with both ladies.

"Duke Milford, though Duke plainly is well for me." The next second he was back, completely focused at his task. Mary looked bemused, like she was expecting something more intriguing. Ann promptly rushed to serve tea, urging her partner to help with the food.

"Don't add milk to it, Ann." Integra sat on the big table on the middle of the room, she let the maid pour some tea on cups and serve her a slice of carrot cake.

"Of course not, Sir. I already know how you like it" The maid winked. The next moment she was helping a cup for Duke.

"That's so kind sweetie, thank you." The vampire spreader out a flashy smile, this time disregarding accidentally his fangs. Ann only froze holding the teacup midair, Mary had the eyes wide open, but only an infantile yelp saved Integra from an awkward explanation; a kid was behind Mary, grabbing her skirt like he would fall if he let it go.

"And who might you be?" Integra changed the topic quickly, she motioned to Mary. "This is not place for your children, Mary."

"It is not mine, Sir. And before you accuse Ann, you should know whose you share room with. After all they are all under your care."

Not aggravated as the maid expected to inflict damage, Integra half smiled at the kid.

"You must be one of the orphans" she didn't feel anything at all using that word to describe him, it wasn't lack of touch, it was more about she being an orphan herself "what's your name."

"Barnabas..." the boy was at unease, looking everywhere but where Duke was. It was obvious he was the most sentient in the room.

"Sir, Barnabas only wanted to ask you for something, right?" Ann pushed the boy one step forward. Integra raised an eyebrow, tuning her back she could see Duke had left aside his work, amused by the little boy.

"I... I wanted to... a book?"

Integra looked around like she had just notice her office was actually a library. Actually, she was expecting a bigger request. A book was fair. "Sure, take one."

Sir Integra asked the maids to return later once the kid had gone. They immediately understood there were other issues with her boss aside of the simple introduction of another member to Hellsing; both bowed an apology for bringing the kid with them, Ann seemed more troubled than her younger partner, and went out in silence. Integra pondered if it could be correct to reveal them the true nature of the vampire, she knew they wouldn't approve it, but she was their leader and they had to comply her decisions. More else she was overtaking responsibilities with Sir Irons' business while following the normal missions of Hellsing, but this was a problem she had decided to have it solved by the end of the week.

The library wasn't exactly how the boy had imagined. While he patted over old tomes of boring books about military, travel and tomes of an old encyclopedia. Integra tried to do not put the boy much attention, but it was inevitable, he started to read loud voice the names on the book's spine with his slow and jagged understanding of each title. After five or six badly read books' names her patience nerve snapped.

"Is there something that interests you?" This one was Duke who predicted her actions. The boy jumped two steps back when heard the vampire, but he recovered easily with the kindness of the monster.

"Everything looks boring." Barnabas pouted."I like scary tales, is there something like that here?"

Duke put a face of perplexity. Scanned the books' spines without result, a moment later he had pulled Integra to help him find something appropriate to the child. The head of Hellsing rolled the eye for being taken into such meaningless situation, though she didn't have to think it twice, her hands knew the exact location of a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Duke looked at her with distrust; he shook his head trying to point out that the reading was not child friendly. Integra smirked back.

"I read this first time when I was your age." She handed the old book to the kid. "It's about a monster that moves from Middle Europe to terrorize London."

"Excuse me? Are we talking about the same book?" The vampire crossed his arms, then he made his hand spin by the wrist "I don't think _terrorize_ it's the correct word."

"Can I have it, then?" Barnabas's eyes were shining with expectation; he was an unusual kid, wanting a book over a toy. Integra nodded at him, and the next second the boy was running out of the office. Turned back and peaked by the door threshold once only to scream a bare thanks and ran out again at full speed.

Duke stared at the spot where the boy last had appeared. After a few seconds realizing Barnabas wouldn't come back, he glared at Integra. His red eyes shone under the sunglasses and gave her shiver that she would never admit.

"What?" She sneered at his stare.

"I found Barnaby's family yesterday. Why haven't you informed him?"

"For their family, it's the same dishonor dying in London than staying with us. Believe me, I'm not proud of my decision, but it's the better way to avoid an international conflict."

* * *

It was early in the morning and Integra was on her third cup of coffee. Ann didn't returned when the boy was gone, instead, Mary stayed to inform that the mansion didn't have a wide basement like the one the Hellsing Household used to own, more else, they were using the theirs as a wine cellar. However, as member of an old nobleman family, Sir Irons owned a family cemetery in the backyard of the mansion. Integra hadn't noticed this, she had been so busy lately that her only possible opportunity to know the house was that first day trip that the maids had given her, which she was so absorbed for the recent events that she had barely paid attention to it.

Integra programmed the next day to pay a visit to the dead. The place was bigger than expected, the stones and marks covered a wide part of the hill in amongst trees and tight bushes. It looked like a horror story with eroded names of forgotten legacy that died long ago. Fortunately the day was shining bright and the place looked less overwhelming. Integra wasn't afraid of coming there in night-time; it was more a matter of principles. As much as she didn't like to annoy Seras with the sun, the older vampire that walked beside the draculina was in a terrible mood and somehow that made Integra proud of her decision. Both vampires were wearing wide-brimmed hats; Seras had formed hers after Alucard's. She was pouting slightly about being still awake in the early hours of the morning. While Duke wore a weird black frayed bush hat, and to top it all he had arrived late, wearing his pajamas when everyone knew his sleeping time started until noon.

"There's a row of crypts facing the road along the bottom." Mary pointed towards that direction and headed without caring if she someone was following her.

Integra wondered how many members of the Irons family were resting under those gravestones, but she never dared to ask to the Maid. It wasn't her business after all. Instead, she looked back at her two vampires. Seras and Duke were talking happily, their dialogue was far from audible but the Draculina's expression said it all. She was recapping him some of his missing years with the Count as she pointed the hat more than once and meekly mimicked poses and expressions of Alucard. The vampires had matched the moment they met; both shared a connection she would never understand. It was the complete opposite of what she had seen along her years as vampire hunter, considering how territorial they were it was clear that Duke was making a huge effort for getting along with the youngest child of his former Master. Nevertheless the good manners the recently arrived vampire had showed, Integra wasn't an inch near to low her guard.

By the end of the trip, they arrived to a dark walking road in the middle of the forest. That place was cold and damp; the only sound was the one of some unknown bird chiming a bad omen for anyone stepping on its domains. Seras removed her hat as the sunlight shrouded by the treetops, Duke coped her. The Draculina filled her lungs with the mist surrounding them, she grinned a point-toothed smile, looking pleased for the place. The other vampire coughed for hiding his chuckle, he seemed happy for the place too. It was creepy indeed, but nothing to intimidate her. The only problem was, _where were the crypts?_

"Down here." Like she had read her mind, Mary called up everyone from a hidden spot under the dead leaves. She was standing in broken structure of stone walls. It looked more like an abandoned house and no one would ever wonder that the remains of the most important members of the Irons clan laid there. "Would you mind to give me a hand?" Her eternal frown inquired Duke.

"I- I just bought these clothes," he shook the hands flatly "what about you Seras?"

"I'll do it." The girl was excited for her new resting place. She lifted the thick stone covering the hole on the mossy rock with a display of her shadowy arm. A heavy crack shredded the stone halfway out of the way; a plume of dust went out of the hole. Covering her face with a medical mask Mary lighted a flashlight to lead the path. The entrance led downstairs to a long crypt with vaulted ceiling. The maid placed the only light in one corner so it could illuminate most part of the room. Coffins arranged in row alongside it, about half a dozen of them. The place reeked like moist and dust, Integra had to cover her mouth and nose with the sleeve, she could bet Mary knew how necessary the mask would be and never gave her new boss one just for sheer self satisfaction. Looking again at the vampires, of course they didn't mind the environmental conditions. In Seras' case, her face was more like the one of kid whose parents had let her take part in the decoration of her room. She was bouncing from a coffin to the other with the simple pleasure of touching the corroded wooden surfaces. She started to talk about how magnificent this place was, Integra nodded just for doing something.

Duke's case was completely the opposite; he was hugging himself as if he could feel the cold. His steps had left him the closest possible to the stairs leading the entrance without dirtying his pajamas, his eyes were shining bright red, but his expression was of pure discomfort.

"Hum, Miss Mary, you said there was a row. You mean this?" Seras pointed the perfectly arranged coffins by her side. It seemed she had never been in a crypt before.

"I said a row of crypts, not coffins" The maid pointed twisting the eyes up in exaggerated annoyance "follow me and I'll show you the others." She strolled back to the entrance, grabbing the flashlights before.

Seras was overly excited when she understood there was the possibility of owning a crypt all for herself. She practically bounced after the maid who was already upstairs. Integra was about to leave when Duke grabbed her by the arm. That sole second she wondered why they had been left alone in that abandoned place. She didn't know how to react; her only certainty was the gun in her holster.

"Is it really necessary?" Until then she realized how much the vampire was trembling. He was an odd vampire, he's shared so many centuries among humans, experiencing their way of living that he had forgotten what is to feel like a real vampire.

"Jack asked me to take care of you." Those words moved the vampire, she knew how important that person was for Duke. He let go of her arm and after an unnecessary sigh he reluctantly nodded with the eyes tight shut, giving up in his plea of staying inside the mansion.

"I'm keeping this one." He looked back; the darkness wasn't an impediment for him _enjoying_ the view. "There's no way I would enter in another of these."

Integra approved his decision. Seras returned to meet her boss in the entrance upstairs.

"Sir, I think I've found mine! It's bigger than my Master's chambers in the mansion." She chirped overjoyed.

Integra walked upstairs when another pull on her arm made her slow down. This time it was so faint she only hesitated a split second, enough for understanding that the odd vampire wanted to be led out there by her. Maybe there were more than one ways for domesticating a wild vampire.

It was early in the morning and she still had tons of work to do in the office but she was there finding a home for her pet vampires. _God how I need a cigar!, _she thought.

**Author's Note**: **Long chapter yay! Thanks for the comments and reviews I decided to make long chapters even if they take more time. After all, a lot of things can happen in only one day.**

**I gave some hints about who Barnabas could be. He won't appear in the next chapters which will give you time which Hellsing character he is.**

Jo: I'm sure Integra will find a way to scold Pip too :P


	8. First Week -Day One-

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano. Except Duke, Mary & Ann, which are of my invention. There's no economical profit out of this story, the only thing I win is your faves, followings and comments which I thank deeply and make me continue with further chapters ^_^**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**First Week –Day One-**

"Did you call me Sir Integra?" Seras peeked in the office passing her upper torso and face through the wall.

"No, actually it's been a little quiet in here for a while." Integra was arranging some papers on her desk, she was planning to call it a day and hit the bed.

"Ah, hum...I guess I've misheard..." the Draculina's shoulders fell down. She went out through the wall again; then came back "but if there's something I could help you tonight, I have a lot of free time anyway."

"I don't think so, I'm about to finish this." Integra tangled her fingers over the desk to make a point.

Her subordinate nodded saddened and disappeared through the wall. Seconds passed by. "Officer Victoria."

Seras popped through the wall, eager smile on her lips.

"Yes Sir?"

"Congratulations for achieving new powers." The head of Hellsing grabbed some files and stood up heading the door, the vampire girl got her body inside through the wall for the fourth time.

"Thank you sir!" She stood up straight holding the files. "I was worried that you'd not notice..."

"How could I?" Integra patted the draculina on the shoulder and both walked out to the hallway. The house was still packed with injured people and lost children, though that night everything was awful quiet.

They arrived to the kitchen. Integra scanned the fridge for a nightly snack. Even if one week ago Walter had made her a sandwich, it seemed like ages since the last time she had eaten one; so some pickles, tomato, lettuce, thousand islands dressing, cheese, cucumbers, mayonnaise, fish sticks, ketchup, onion, turnip and Parma ham ended on the table along with an individual package of instant Earl Grey. Integra lasted several minutes looking for the kettle among all the wooden shelves. She didn't want to wake up Ann or Mary, for she needed to talk with Seras first.

"How have you been doing with the remaining ghouls?"

"Well..." Seras scratched the back of her head "not bad, but also not as fast as I would like. Something tells me they are hiding their presence in some way."

"I see..." She found the kettle and filled it to put in on the fire. Next thing, making a sandwich was something she wasn't proficient at. Wondering if she could add dressing to the bread, she glanced at her subordinate, who was chuckling under her breath while shaking the head anytime she was about to pick the wrong ingredient. Seras had that grin proving her superiority, in this case in sandwich making and not-sharing-her-knowledge, that Alucard showed every time Integra had him as witness when practicing fencing. It was something she had never accustomed to, specially coming from her servant, and the Draculina shouldn't be the exception to the rule.

"Seras..." she started speaking rudely, but suddenly, the image of her most ancient vampire trying to prepare a simple sandwich and failing miserably crossed her mind. Her reprimand vanished in a flash of imaginary victory on her lips. "Tell Duke to accompany you tonight. Get rid of as many ghouls as you can."

Seras nodded, satisfied with the decision.

"Sir, before we go, can I tell you something?"

"What is it?"

"That's not ham... it's bacon." She pointed the reddish mean Integra was putting between two breads, completely raw.

* * *

Awaken. This night he was awaken not feeling completely comfortable with it. Granted he was no longer chained to the wall, which was plus, but for some reason he laid on the coffin not wanting to stand up. His life had changed so much in a matter of days. _That's right, he was homesick!_ And the idea was unpleasant. He was immortal, he should care less where he was living, and yet he had that sad feeling similar to the one he experienced back when he was a recently born creature of the night, in Romania, far from his home country. Jack, his house in Pennsylvania, his dogs. _No, no, no! _He was going to help these lovely ladies while rebuilding London, he had promised. Instead of thinking about his life in America, he decided to plan his tonight agenda.

_There was this cargo coming from Germany, he had to supervise that everything was shared between the occupants correctly. Also, he needed to make a few calls to the Rotarians, as much as he liked to spend his own money there wasn't much left from his personal savings, and the lady that had lost half face really needed that surgery. And today Sir Hellsing was welcoming more volunteers to enroll as soldiers, that'd probably required his assistance. Maybe checking the stock market was in order too, it had been weeks since he had read his assets. _

He wouldn't like to get back to America to discover the CEO had overlooked important opportunities, especially if considered how broken the England market was. Plan made, he still didn't feel replenished enough for stepping out, _maybe he should take things calmer and rest some minutes more there_. He smelled the cold air from the crypt wondering what flavor he should add to his meal tonight. He started to stroll again in the realm of Morpheus.

Someone knocked on his coffin lid's window.

"Duke? Are you sleeping?" in the darkness only two shiny red eyes above him were visible.

"I was." He muttered. "What is it, Seras?"

"Sir Integra wants you to come with me to the hunt tonight."

_Great,_ he mentally balled up his plans to throw them away.

The hunting place was in Lambeth, close to the main point where the city had been attacked. The district was still a mess of debris and a bundle of destruction. He hated this gray place reeking with dried blood, gunpowder and human waste, and hated the company; while he was nice with civilians but military made him shiver, he simply wasn't comfortable around them.

He had never hold a gun before and now they had handed him a huge one, Seras had told him it was a prototype of the ones Alucard used to own. It didn't matter if it had been made for a vampire's use, he had NEVER shot to anyone and he was not intending to start tonight. He crossed his arms to sit on what remained of a wall of concrete. The others were making preparations for searching a 'ghouls nest' that had been confirmed some days ago.

As far as he had understood, London had been attacked by a sort of vampire Nazis, who had spread their venom to the citizens. There was also the possibility of finding some Nazi survivors of the battle from a week ago. This was a dangerous business, no wonder Alucard was so happy working with these people, and he could see the same eagerness to blood carnage in Seras. She seemed like a fish in water, giving orders and making groups. Giving advices in the last opportunity.

"Aim to the heart or the head. Keep them the farthest you can from their mouths." He heard her saying.

Like he'd have the aim for that.

"Duke, we're here more backup than anything else. In case we find a vampire they don't have an opportunity." She explained the troops.

"Do you mean we have to kill them?"

"Yeah, I didn't though you'd have a problem." She was so cute while rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"I don't. It wouldn't be my first time killing one of our kin." After all he had had to establish his own territory in Bloomfield.

Not wanting to waste more time, he stood up faking he was ready for the hunt. He took his position on the back part of the group; Seras was leading in the front. He knew the soldiers didn't fully believe the vampires were helping, he could feel the fear coming from their heartbeat, which only raised his discomfort. She in the other side, Seras seemed comfortable working with two veteran soldiers, Jules and Morris if he'd recall their names.

Most of the hunt was only searching, walking and searching and searching and walking. At least the moonlight gave some reassurance to the troops that jumped and flinched with every rat popping from the debris. The area had been evacuated, the only reminder of men working in there were the cranes and backhoes, left from the restoration project due to the appearance of the ghoul neighbors. He heard some gunshot in the front part of the line, some yellow light illuminated a human shaped monster. He could recognize he ghoul, _disgusting unnatural mistake_. The creature fell with a thump, its head a battered mix of rancid blood and tissues. At least they had gotten rid of the menace and they could get back home.

Or so he thought.

They continued walking for the span of one hour before finding another random ghoul. It was strange; Sir Integra had told them that the area was infested by those creatures. Maybe she had misheard the information and they were making a fuss for only two or three of them. Then he felt a heartbeat. It was faint, but struggling to live. Soon he noticed another one, next to the first. Those were different to the ones of the soldiers. Because they were coming from the opposite direction the troops were going.

Duke stopped on his tracks. The heartbeats were calling him, like they were pleading him to find them. Yes, they were calling, like alluring him to drink from their dying pace. He drooled.

"Hey, all of you! Come back!" he waved his arm trying the soldiers to notice him. Everybody turned to him, expectant. "I need to talk with Seras."

The message was passed through the line of almost twenty soldiers. The captain Seras arrived in a matter of seconds, holding her huge harkonnen with ease.

"Did something happen?"

"Can you feel those heartbeats too?" he motioned their rhythms with both index fingers.

Seras closed her eyes to concentrate. The soldiers understood how important it was to shut up and they remained silent. It took her minutes, probably separating the troop's breaths from what she was supposed to hear. Indeed she was younger, but she should be capable of such simple action. She opened her eyes wide.

"They are somewhere buried in the rubble!" She looked at Duke and closed the eyes again. Inclining her head from one side to the other and then walking eyes closed to the heartbeat's source. "By there!" she pointed a dark place not so far from them.

Seras ran towards the pile of debris, not knowing from where to start.

"We have to lift this." She pulled a wooden pillar, the movement made a domino effect that made some part of the pile to scatter.

"We better call the rescue team." Morris suggested.

"Already on it." Jules had on his hand the communicator.

"I can do it." Duke started rolling the eyes annoyed. Suddenly he melted. The area surrounded in thick mist, the soldiers started to panic. One of the newest yelled that they had been betrayed, that Duke was about to kill them all.

_Seriously, she had taken her time reading profiles and making interviews,_ she had thought the men she had picked were loyal. It was a shame they hadn't had enough training considering the haste, so she couldn't check their guts _before_ sending them to combat. She tried to calm them down, they were afraid of nothing. Duke was not dangerous, Duke was an ally.

Duke laughed grimly inside her mind.

"I wouldn't mind giving them a piece of scream."

"No. You don't." Seras answered disgruntled; sometimes he carried the same air that her Master had.

"Oh, look what the cat found!" suddenly the mist vanished, or better said it had been sucked by the pile of debris she was standing on. "There are two little girls in here. What a cuties, none more than ten years."

She didn't know what to say.

He continued.

"I wouldn't mind give them a bite. They are probably virgins."

"Duke, don't. Don't scare them away."

"They are trapped and in the verge of death. I would make them the favor-"

"NO!" confused soldiers looked at her captain with half puzzled, half distrustful expression. They might have thought she was driving nuts. She returned to her conversation in the mental plane "We'll take them out. Tell me where you are."

"I'm afraid I can't do so if you insist staying in your human shape. Unless you change to mist or something small you won't be able to reach us." Actually he was worried for her lack of abilities as a recently born vampire.

At first she took his taunt as a challenge, Duke had been an ache while pushing her to unlock her new powers. His pushing had let her achieve passing through walls. She thought in using that for the situation but then _how was she going to pass the girls through them? _Truth is she was afraid of some of the powers. She knew how to regenerate her human form, but if she tried another shape who knows if she could come back to the way she had been so far. She pondered it, letting the girls die on Duke's fangs. _Master would approve it. Integra won't. _She couldn't bear her disappointed face.

Her body trembled at the idea of changing form. She concentrated in being mist. She focused. She was mist. Mist. Thick, cold, wet air. Eyes opened she stared back at the soldiers who had lost his positions to look puzzled at her. One of her hands still had five fingers, the only thing she had managed was to lose the shape of her ripped left arm. She heard Duke's laugher from the back of her head. Her face burnt red.

Maybe turning into mist was very advanced. If she needed a small form, she could try a bat. Eyes closed again, the idea of a bat flooded her head. She focused in being a bat. Feeling the strong wind blowing on her wings. A bat. Yes, a black small bat. She could hear the most humble sounds making a black and white image of her surroundings in her mind. She could feel the weakening on her legs as they'd turned less and less imposing. When she opened the eyes again she panicked. Used to see perfectly in the darkness the place had turned so poorly illuminated that her surroundings were reduced to some blurry dark shapes; and _huge shapes to recall for!_ Suddenly she heard a Julius approaching, _she chirped! _And the entire world turned on like a TV screen. Soon she realized she was on the floor, the soldiers were looking at her, some with horror, some with curiosity. Jules and Morris seemed proud of her.

The next task was flying. It wasn't anyway similar to do it in her human form. But after some crashes against walls and sloppy landings, she was up and above.

More at ease with her new shape, she found a crack where her tiny body could pass through. She flew inside the tore apart building, dodging debris and furniture, covering herself with dust. In minutes she found Duke's trace, and in less than expected Seras was inside a broken room. Duke was leaning half seated on a wooden desk. It was supporting a wall that was caked with another wall. Under it, two tiny and starving bodies holding tight each other. She could feel it, they were barely breathing. The air was stale, it reeked with rotten meat. Then she noticed, right beside her, an adult body lying in a poor state. A huge shelf had fallen on that man. It wasn't for the dust Seras could bet the place was a lovely office.

"Congratulations" Duke clapped joyful, and then he turned to the girls. "Now let's get us out of here."

It took some moments of concentration to get back to her original self. But once she could stand up on her two legs Duke cracked laughing. She had forgotten how to reshape her arm, again.

"As you already notice there's no way we could pass with the girls by here." He pointed to the crack Seras had just come out from. They could pass unanimated objects through walls, however living people was completely impossible. Then he lifted the kids for handing them both to Seras. "I've been checking the place, we may move some fallen walls by the other side but it will compromise the building structure."

Seras looked down to the girls on her arms. Both were blonde and white skinned, aside from the filth on their faces they were quite loveable. Not exactly English was the Draculina's guess, perhaps Swedish. The older one was about eight and the smaller seemed to have the toddler stage not long time ago. Considering them skinny was an overstatement, it might have just passed a week after London's disgrace, but these kids had already lost the will to live. Their hearts were almost beating, and their breaths were so soft that not even she could felt any disturbance in the air. No wonder Duke had proposed to kill them, but that idea was out of question.

"Can you come here?" Duke was standing on a fallen concrete wall and jumped to a pillar that had broken the next's room wall. He was some feet from reaching the ceiling. Seras followed him up still holding her charge. "We might go up by here until reaching out the building. It doesn't matter the height. Once outside, we jump."

"It looks unsteady; the building might collapse if we move something." Seras had notice how the pillar was holding some other caked walls in the upper levels.

"Hush, don't be a party pooper!" he motioned a thumbs down with the hand "this place won't fall faster than us. I need you to carry the girls while I push the walls."

Actually that wasn't a bad idea.

They took positions. Duke in the front, standing on the pillar. Seras behind him, holding tight the girls.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Three, two, one... let's do it!" Duke pushed the wall, the cracking ominous sound alerted them this plan was suicidal, but he continued his task. In seconds the surface fell aside from the pillar and a more powerful trembling flooded the place. "Run!"

Both propelled their legs to the temporal opening. Halfway another wall crumbling over them, a Duke's massive push threw it away. Soon a third one, and a second, and the ceiling of the next floor did the same. They pelted from a falling structure to another, eyes frantic looking from a newly created opening. The lessening opportunities made them use their flying abilities; however the increased speed didn't give time for their brains to understand if they were actually going the right path. Vision blurred for the dust and dither, Seras glimpsed an undisturbed door.

"Let's go by there!" She screamed, Duke pushing a last concrete piece aside before breaking the wooden entrance with his whole body.

They rolled by the floor seconds before the whole place outside crumbled into pieces. Both panting with joy, they didn't have much time to celebrate. A very well known feeling made them flinch. At the same time both looked inside the room, apparently some offices, occupied by the ghouls they had been looking for. And by the coward Nazi vampires that had quartered in here full of ammo.

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I've been working in a project of my own and kind of neglected the fics. This arc is long so it will be divided in two. I've been wondering if someone would like to beta test this, even if I double check the spell some words slip by from my native spanish.**


	9. First Week -Day Two-

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano. Except Duke, who I hope you are liking him. I'm getting no money out of this.  
**

******(Re) Building an Empire**

**First Week –Day Two-**

The click in the weapons ready to fire alerted Seras, she rocketed to the back part of the room urging the kids that were languid like dead bodies. She knew they didn't have a chance if they wanted to keep their precious lives, jumping behind a knocked down huge desk she managed to keep them safe just a split second before the rage of bullets pierced the wooden surface that supposedly was going to protect them. Even though the weapons managed to make some holes in the surface, hitting straight on her back. The riffles thundered all around the room, luckily the enemy was shooting normal bullets and she could manage the pain comparing it to mice bites. The only thing that mattered was that the girls were safe. Pip materialized by her side, she felt grateful to have him by her side in that moment of need. Pulling out a handgun that Seras had hidden somewhere in her unnatural body, the mercenary peered above the desk while the fire had not ceased, he shot a couple of bullets and hunched back in mid safety with his face tore open. It returned to his original self in seconds, reminding Seras that the mercenary was neither human, which gave her the advantage of a men more in the battle.

"There are about twenty of them" Pip yelled overpowered by the roar of shooting. He peered back, his bullets landing of the foreheads of two enemies across the room; he received a straight hit on the shoulder without flinching and corrected "Eighteen. They don't seem to care for the ghouls either."

"Where's Duke?" Seras screamed for letting herself be heard, wishing that the enemies would run out of ammo from one moment to the other.

"He's on between a rock and hard place:" Pip mocked. Reality is, she didn't need to ask, with her third eye she had seen how the Nazis had turned Duke into pulp and now he wasn't more than a pile of rust on the floor. Seras concentrated on his partner; she had to contact him, to let him know that the safe spot was some yards away from him. They could think about a better solution once they were safe. Instead, she found nothing but blurriness in Duke's mind, a crying in the back part of her mind ached. There was something wrong with the older vampire. She tried to synchronize her thoughts with him for bringing the vampire back in action.

It hurts. It hurts. IT HURTS.

The bullets pierced his body in every corner; every muscle tattered by boiling hot metal. The pain, the emptiness of his own intestines. It hurt so much. A steady pause. Duke opened his only eye available to see. He shivered, the image of his mangled body tattooed in his head. Had he had the power to _feel_ the enemy as Miss Seras did he should had noticed the Nazis' den when waiting for the Draculina. Instead his starvation had clouded his sight.

More bullets. The unbearable pain.

Again, his conscious slipping by. _No more pain please, no more bullets please. I'm no longer ill, I'm cured. Look at me I'm cured!_ It wasn't working. No more pity for him. He was a monster, he shall feast of humans. He shall feast of vampires. The whole world was by his feet.

He forgot his human shape. Melting, at least the pain had gone. The fright gone as well. The love gone as well. Only an emotion carved in his lost soul. _Hunger._

Seras chest was moving rapidly, saliva was dripping by the corners of her mouth as Duke's crazed mind slipped controlling her own. Pip looked at her in awe, an echoing plea from her familiar attempted to stop her, but it was too far and too empty for being real. She stood up ignoring Pip like a shadow, before her the carnage. She heard their enemies bone and flesh tore apart by the vampire, the smell of warm blood abandoning its owners. She was overexcited, couldn't wait to join the fun, to feel alive one more time. Her mind moved ahead with an only slogan, EAT!

* * *

Obersturmführer Berit Nolten had had a hard time after London's invasion. Not only he had to retreat his troops when Hellsing's monster Alucard had dispatched a great amount of them, but also the destruction had let them isolated. He confirmed the device Herr Doctor had given them for hiding their vampiric existence from Hellsing's pets worked. It was a beta prototype device the shape and size of an ID card, he had used it in a recognition mission and since no one had asked for it back he had kept it. Everything was so silent outside, only the occasional rat peering at the gnawing meat of the lost corpses. _And talking about corpses, our reserves are nothing than withered husk, _he thought_. _He had taken the prevision of keeping hostages before ending trapped, but five lanky women weren't enough for his men. In a few days the girls had been dried and ghouled. He needed to find a good source of blood for his three officials and eight men. He tried sending some ghouls for recognition, but as long as the device was working he couldn't find any presence outside that building. It was a matter of time for them to go try going out of this ground.

_What if Herr Major had won the war and the silence was the utter devastation in this country?_ He didn't know. Not getting orders from above, not very comfortable with the idea of coming out with the remaining of his men to confess he had ran away in the middle of the battle. Afraid of the enemy. Afraid of his own. Buried under levels and levels of rubbish. _Yes, he had to make a decision._

"Meine herren," he stood up from his chair, his men stopped his card game to stand still "it's time for us to get out of this dumpster."

Everyone acclaimed his decision, for they were all tired of being trapped. An earthquake rumbled the floor under them; the men looked at his higher rank frantic expression in their eyes. Even so Berit Nolten was as flabbergasted as them. By the door two vampires busted in, consequently rolling on the floor. One wore a perfectly recognizable uniform with a spiteful shield. It was the blonde vampire girl that belonged to Hellsing. She carried two human girls in the verge of death. The other was a short male vampire, weakened to laughable levels. Only a huge gun on his limp hand. The female vampire fruitlessly turned her back to protect the humans. Those kids didn't worth a drop of fluid in them. She yelled something in English to her partner, but the guy was frozen, his sole gun on the right hand and not wanting to lift it and shot.

His men, ghouls included, gathered the rifles waiting for his single order.

"Kill them!"

The bullets fell like rain on them. Did Herr Major know the Draculina was still in London? What had happened with Kommandant Zorin? One thing he had for sure, those pathetic vampires wouldn't make it out of here.

The short male vampire got all the damage directly, in minutes he was nothing but rust on the floor. But he was not the kind to overlook his enemies, his orders were to destroy totally, his men didn't stop until they had to recharge their sturmgewehr g36. What a beauty was this. Their enemy's flesh tearing apart, falling like beaten chess pieces. He had enjoyed the killing rampage outside, after finishing these pitiful vampires they would head to continue the massacre. The raging blood boiling in his veins, even with no heartbeat he could felt it. Herr Major was right. _What a beauty war was!_

And then everything turned downhill. The vampire turned to dust disappeared, a minute was there under his men's feet, and the other he was gone. A heavy thick copper mist flooded the place. Not even with his night vision he could perceive what was happening. He heard some terrified screams from his soldiers, broken bones, crushed flesh. Suddenly the mist started to concentrate in one point; it was like watching a gas grenade explosion backwards until it materialized in the shape of a man. The vampire they all had thought dead had Officer Hans' throat in the jaws. The British vampire spun his head not wanting to let go, Officer Hans's neck crushed in a mighty turn. Officer Oskar, Officer Ritter and a bunch of ghouls were almost recognizable under his feet. Hans' limp body fell like a wheat sack. The English vampire had a coughing fit that turned into manic laugh. The ghouls shoot again, this time he dodged most of the bullets. Sharp teeth crunching one undead after the other. He pinned one of the ghouls for pulling each limb as a kid that pulls a fly's wings. Then he took both stay arms to spear them to another ghoul. More bullets, he received them smiling!

The Obersturmführer was terrified. He ordered the ghouls to continue shooting, but it was useless. In the crossfire the female vampire abandoned her makeshift barricade, and hell broke loose. Two rampaging monsters, the male one had mostly lost the shape for the bullet holes, nothing more than two legs carrying an slimy shadow from where patches of detached skin, a pair of gleaming red eyes, and dozens of mouths emerging from the blackness. They mercilessly devoured two ghouls while the female vampire, who had lost one arm in some moment replacing it with a similar colored bloody shadow, sliced his ghouls in mid air.

Berit Nolten stepped back. He had already left his troops behind once; he started when his back reached the wall. By his foot there was a sturmgewehr. He crouched to reach it, his fingers trembling. The two monsters seemed to notice him. The girl stood half crouched feral eyes on her face, shiny pointy teeth drizzling blood. The other keep quiet looking at him while his many mouths got hold of a ghoul in front of his body, clearly draining it. It was a pause that had might last one second or one hour, the Obersturmführer wouldn't know it; his body was frozen in fear.

Even in his mauled state, Officer Ritter reached a sturmgewehr and fired at the female vampire. It hit her straight in the head, more than once.

The Hellsing vampire stumbled forward never losing feet. Instead, swift from her shadow a tall red braided man emerged. The apparition crushed what was left of Ritter under his boot, then picked the sturmgewehr to finish two or three ghouls. The other vampire pelted towards him, he shot aimlessly; it might have bulls eyed it, it might not. The only thing that was certain was his head falling by the side of his body. Walls dripping with the blood of his comrades and that short vampire, now with a more tangible shape, mauling his beheaded body.

* * *

Early in the morning. Integra had decided to hit the bed. Some hours ago she had received a call from Seras; everything was going according to plan. The Head of Hellsing was about to slid in dreamland when someone knocked at her room door with urgency.

"Excuse me, Sir Integra, for disturbing you at this hour in the morning." It was the head doctor on charge of the victims in the house "I got a call from Lieutenant Aiden; he needs to talk with you."

"I'll be there in a minute." No members of the Wild Geese were allowed to contact directly with her, had something happened with Seras? Integra dressed hasty to receive the call in her provisional office.

"What is it Lieutenant?"

"Sir, we've got a problem. Captain Seras and Duke entered in a pile of debris. They haven't come out and the sun is coming out."

She pinched the bridge in her nose, _such a mundane task to call them? _

"I assure you Lieutenant that they are perfectly capable to go back under the sunlight."

"That's not the problem Sir. They entered under the wreckage searching for survivors, and... the cranes showed that they have done more damage than the expected. But the problem is the rescuers have found a quite disgusting place where Captain and Duke may be, but no one wants to enter."

"And in which way do you find _me_ fitting to attend such place?" Integra was losing her temper. Honestly they didn't want go out in the early morning when she had so much paperwork to do. However Aiden didn't give her a straight answer, he only asked one more time for her to come before hanging up.

And Integra couldn't believe her eyes when arriving to the place where she was lead through the ruins by Jules, Aiden and Morris, reaching a wide enclosed room in which walls were painted in blood. The floor was flooded with corpses and tattered pieces of flesh. It was like someone had put people in a mixer and had scattered the remains all around the place. Of course she was used to this gory display with Alucard, but so far she had thought sweet Seras and odd Duke were different. She noticed the swastika armband in a mauled arm, those Nazis deserved it. Somehow she was proud they had performed the task.

Upon entering the room a feeling squishiness under her dirty shoes made her shiver. The place stenched like slaughterhouse. In the wall with the door she noticed something unusual, two dead girls on the floor. Her flesh was soft, they had been alive not long ago; but their throats had been torn wide open. Integra stepped back, she had commit a mistake thinking of Seras and Duke as humans, they were monsters with all the extension of the word. Now the question was where had those two gone?

She got a call from outside, the rescue worker wanted to know if there was still danger, otherwise they should face a retrieving corpse mission. Integra shook her head even when only her men could see her anguish.

She went out of the room for not interfering with the sledge hammers breaking the wall from the outside. As the morning lights started to seep by the broken wall, Integra noticed something shuffling under the layers of death bodies. The last hit that made the wall crackle into pieces lighting the complete room triggered the awakening of two angry vampires. Seras thrushed to the darker side snarling and hissing, her missing arm again an unshaped shadow, her curvy body drenched with blood. Duke the other side, rushed over the closest rescuer, bare fangs ready to attack despite the bright light. Jules was the faster reacting, his rifle piercing silver bullets in all Duke's body. The vampire reacted furiously, not a glint of conscience, just numbing feral instinct, coming to his former comrades. Aiden and Morris bathed his body with more bullets. The vampire fell some feet near Integra, she could see how Duke had feed as his skin was no longer grayish. Seras had hidden in a corner, back against the wall. Obviously scared, and yet menacing. She grunted as Integra went closer, and then shifted to growls and snarls with the exposure of her dentition. The rescue team retreated, only some stayed there frozen by fear.

Integra pulled her gun. Three bullets were enough for the angered young vampire.

Afternoon, that same day. The vampires had been locked in their coffins. They had disobeyed her orders, as they were in a mission for killing ghouls, and they had instructions of calling rescue team in case of finding someone trapped in the ruins. They not only had killed two innocents, not related to the enemy, nor soldiers or policemen, but civilians. Moreover they were two starving kids. Integra could feel her pride thrown out by the window when they informed her that the victims were the children of German Consul, as the other country considered they had taken away two children for the consulship without formal authorization of their parents. And how could they ask for that if the Consul was a rotting corpse crushed under the remains of his own office?

When Integra got a calling from the Queen she knew this was not going to be easy.

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the comments, I got some that really fired me up. This is the outcome of the battle, an explanation of why Seras couldn't find the source of the ghouls was in order, I hope it made sense.**

**This chapter reveals a little about Duke's past, but I won't push his background here. After all, this story is about Integra and Seras.**


	10. First Week -Day Four-

**Disclaimer: Most characters in this fiction belong to the great master Kouta Hirano. Except Duke, Mary & Ann, which are of my invention. There's no economical profit out of this story, the only thing I win is your faves, followings and comments which I thank deeply and make me continue with further chapters ^_^**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**First Week –Day Four-**

"Unacceptable!" Father Lebel, new Seccion XIII's representative, slammed his fist on the table. The Vatican didn't have anything to do in this meeting, but those swines always found a way to stick their noses wherever they wanted to. "This a clear breach to the Treaty of Lisbon!"

At least Enrico Maxwell had the decency to listen the other's opinions, this pig only cared about his organization and himself.

"I agree with the gentleman here." Lady Hamilton, the recently appointed Foreign Secretary, nodded. A fair dame, with such character that Integra couldn't picture why she supported Vatican's opinion. "Germany has been the country we have gotten more aid from. The death of the consul's daughters could be taken as retaliation from our side. I've been in meetings ever since the incident, and they are considering not only to stop the aid, but also to break diplomatic relationship with us."

A concern mumbling raised on the meeting room. Some from the participants of the cabinet. When the Round Table lose most of its members, those Scrooges found the opportunity to get more political power. It had been only one week since the attack to England and yet the politics were already moving engines. Some had taken a different approach to make Germany think the girls had died by the neo nazis, but the idea had been removed by the argument that the press had arrived too early to the scene.

"We stopped some reporters, but the information leaked by the internet." The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport had been on charge of this. He was frantic nervous, cleaning his bald head with a handkerchief. "If you allow me, I can make the media to say those vampires weren't ours."

Everyone took the offer as a good deal, some other added Hellsing would get rid of the monsters for showing how non-British the vampires were. Integra felt she was losing the battle, most of them were actually considering to make her kill her own vampires. She wondered what would Alucard think about it, she would have made him to tear apart all those fools.

"No sense!" She yelled, nor Seras nor Duke deserved to be treated like animals; they weren't pets, they weren't the puppies that parents bring home and dispose of whenever they grow up and start biting. "Hellsing vampires are proudly British! They were following orders given from me, and if there's someone to blame for this tragedy is me."

"Fine, Lady Hellsing" Lebel again. "we all agree that Seras Victoria is registered as property of Hellsing. What about the other vampire named Duke Milford? Shouldn't your organization take him as a treat from overseas?" apparently the guy had done his inquiries.

To begin with, Integra had reluctantly registered Alucard and later Seras as things subjected to private property; so they didn't have labour rights. Even if it wasn't likely for the vampires for claiming in the court, she knew some nosy NGOs would consider that the monsters looked mostly human, thereof claiming for their rights. However, Duke had joined Hellsing only one week ago, it had been reckless sending the vampire along with Seras when the proper paperwork hadn't been done. Integra hadn't an argument against that. She knew beforehand that someone would take advantage of this weak point, but so far she hadn't had the time to counterattack it.

"Integra" her Majesty the Queen might have noticed Sir Hellsing's frustration. Everyone stayed silent waiting for the old lady in the far throne to speak out her mind. "I'm yet to know this gentleman Duke Milford, but I appeal to your good judgement that he may be a loyal guardian for our Kingdom. Besides I have heard he's also Alucard's fledging, that is indubitable proof his blood is pure."

Her Majesty stopped, like arranging her thoughts. Then continued.

"It's no longer possible to meet Mister Van Helsing, even though, the only thing I have certain is he was a strong willed man, who looked for others' welfare before his, facing the devil for turning it in a faithful servant." She said, and Integra knew where this speech was going to "And I know his blood runs in your veins."

Lebel had caught the idea too. He opened his mouth in protest but the Queen's gesture shut him up.

"I believe you can seal both Alucard's childes" she looked Integra in the eye "do you yourself believe you can do it?"

Would she? She had done some biding with Alucard the first time they met. Things were easier back then, he was bonded to all Hellsings, even to Richard, but the vampire had chosen her a his new master. This time she'd have to do everything from scratch. Seras wouldn't mind, the problem was Duke. At the end, this was the only solution, and the elder vampire would have to understand.

"I can." She stated.

* * *

Cold. She was so cold. And suddenly she felt trapped. The coffin lid was not coming out. Seras paused then pushed again. She started screaming until her lungs weren't holding any more air. It hurt, and she was trapped. Something burning inside her, some killing heat in her chest and stomach. Master! She hasn't seen her Master in a while, couldn't feel him more than a dim bond. Where was he? Had they done something to him? Rage followed fear. Integra had done all this! She had been shot by her supposed boss. Killing intent burst in her veins. She growled harder and harder. There was another voice in her head. It was not Master, therefore it was not something to care of. But the voice went louder and louder until it was impossible to ignore it. She heard this voice, howling? crying? somebody was sad; but not Master. Who was it? The sound changed to a whimper, soft and dying. It was not important. She was trapped, she had the urge of massacre, she had the need to tear some throats apart. Her Master would approve that. Why was she trapped? As time passed by her rage diminished. Then she remembered, the blood, the carnage. What had happened? She ached in some specific points of her body, close to the heart, her fingers found a bullet hole on the uniform. She traced to her belly, another. She followed the path to her ribcage, a third one.

In shame, she covered her face. She remembered. What had she done? Indeed she deserved the punishment. It was her fault, Integra had had to trap her in the coffin. The bullets had been shot as protection, no one had intended to kill Seras. Her Master no longer was here, she had promised herself to find her own path, an equilibrium between her vampire side and the human she had left behind. And then she had failed.

How many had died by her hand? Ghouls were unimportant, but humans, there were humans between them; and she had lost conscious of herself. Limited to murder, to bloodlust.

"Seras." A female voice was audible outside the coffin. Someone was calling her, the mind pulling itself from the misery, Seras rested quiet listening to the chains falling down. She had been chained, her coffin had been chained.

The lip moved aside, artificial light blossoming around her.

"Officer Seras Victoria, stand up." Integra was cold, self controlled.

The draculina obeyed opening the eyes. There were three people staring back at her, Integra in the middle with one hand resting on her sabre's grip, ready to strike; the other two unknown officers with shiny guns waiting on their holsters. It was not rational, but her instincts made her jump back, she shuffled until her back hit the wall. She realized this place wasn't the building where she had fallen asleep last night. The feeling of being trapped, pulled an involuntary hiss out of her mouth that made the officers recoil.

"Stop it officer!" Integra's loud voice brought the vampire back to reality, then the Head of Hellsing softened the tone "No one's here to blame you for what happened. You acted as you were told."

Seras opened her mouth unsure of what to say, if she had something in mind it had died before moving her lips. She understood that someone had carried her to the crypt she had picked and was about to redecorate. Up until then Seras noticed her boss had a sack. Integra took out of it a bag of medical blood and threw it to her subordinate. Seras almost let it fall before grabbing it on mid air. It was true, she was very hungry. But before opening it the vampire sight checked her boss for permission. A nod, and the sweet vital liquid was running down her throat.

"Let's go. I need you by my side when we check Duke."

Seras trotted to her recently assigned post pushing aside one of the officers. Even if she didn't like Integra assuming all the fault, she was happy that at least someone had forgiven her.

Duke's crypt had changed from the day Seras and him had been there for the first time. Instead of the broken rock door, there was a heavy vault door with a rounded seal on the metallic surface. A rough, cheap copy of the one that Master had on the back of his hands. Seras could smell it, the seal had been recently made, and the blood belonged to Sir Hellsing. Who unceremoniously opened the door that led to a single coffin in the middle of the room. There were heavy silver chains around it. Before trying to remove them, Integra reminded her they were silver made. The place had a heavy atmosphere, like when inside it Seras had lost memory of how to use her vampiric abilities; somehow she felt like someone had pulled out her other arm. She thanked in someway Integra was not making her enter completely in there, then she stood back to look inside from the door frame. So the boss herself with the two guards kneeled to unwrap the coffin.

The moment they opened the lid a rancid odor infuriated the whole room. Everybody stood back, hands or arms covering their noses.

Inside the coffin, Duke was nothing more than a dried husk, maybe even smaller and more wasted than the first time they had met him, his once lustrous hair was a lumpy gray mess. He was in an odd position, facing down, forearms clutched together holding the weight of his head and chest. The base of the coffin was flooded with rotting black blood.

"Duke, stand up." Integra tried the same tactic that with Seras. Seconds passed by with no movement from the person inside the coffin. Integra attempted a more closed approach by arranging the man face up. She flinched, he was completely dried and limp like a rubber puppet "Duke Mildford!" she shook him.

Nothing.

"So it was him crying..." Seras mumbled not particularly wanting someone to hear her, but Integra caught it.

Sir Hellsing pulled another bag of blood from her sack. Within a moment she was pouring the liquid inside the empty hole his mouth had turned into. More minutes and no reaction at all.

"Duke! Duke please wake up! Wake!" Seras tried half talking half telepathy, if she had heard him mentally even behind that room with heavy atmosphere, there always was a possibility.

"It's no use." Integra stated, aware of the mental struggle her subordinate was doing. Then she stood up still holding Duke's body to let it fall hitting the ledge.

A slow, slurred noise came from Duke's mouth.

"Augh..."

He half lid opened the eyes. Recovering slowly he looked at his surroundings not completely recognizing where he was. His expression changed to one of a scared animal, there were no chains or restrictions yet he laid unmoving, it was almost sad. Integra pulled another bag of blood and handed it to him, after some seconds he snatched it to suck furiously to its contents. Seras felt she wanted a second serving too, but she stood still thinking Duke might probably need it more.

**Author's Note: Sorry for the looong delay, I'm about to go into an exchange program and there's a lot of stuff to do before riding the plane. I have to admit there was a high influence from Maroongrad fictions while writing this. Later on I'll describe why Duke was in that situation, but since each chapter takes place in one day that'll be for the next one ;)**


	11. First Week -Day Five-

**Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano, Geneon and I don't know if someone else. This fic is made just for fun and the only character of mine is Duke.**

**(Re) Building an Empire**

**First Week –Day Five-**

"Why did you throw up the blood?" Seras mentally talked with her partner the other side of the car. She didn't want Integra to be suspicious, so she looked uninterest by the window trying to make just small talk out of it.

Duke seemed to catch her intentions, he simply crossed one leg to rest on a more relaxed position. Looking by the window on his side the british countryside pass at fast pace.

"The question here is...why _you_ didn't?"

"Why should I?"

"You must know what ghouls are, brainless creatures, turned monsters by a greedy vampire or an idiot one." Duke rested his chin on the palm of his hand "They never chose to be like that, and there's no way back once you change into a ghoul."

Seras nodded mentally, she remembered those same words from her Master, but she failed to understand what it had to do with Duke puking all the blood he had consumed days ago, to the point of losing his regenerative powers.

"When a vampire consumes a life, the souls turns part of the vampire." Duke sighed. "By consuming the ghoul you don't allow that person to rest in peace. It will be part of you, as a ghoul, for eternity."

Seras felt a heavy lump on her throat and swallowed expecting the saliva to take it away. Until that moment she could feel it, the thrusting inside her, the mindless creatures craving for blood. Trapped inside by the end of the times.

"Did Alucard ever drank one of those?" The elder vampire knew the answer, yet he waited for Seras to shake the head. "Our bodies are a battlefield, the more souls you consume the more they push you to fulfil their desires. A strong mind can hold them for centuries, but eventually they may want to overcome the one that have them trapped. And ghouls, as they were not turned by oneself, are hard to control." He grinned wickedly.

Seras shivered thinking it more deeply, she didn't want the nazi ghouls with her but it couldn't be helped. Then another dark thought popped in her mind.

"Pip..." deep inside, anguished , she called her familiar "are you upset for being trapped in here?"

"My mignonette," Captain Bernadotte's voice echoed in her head, she could almost see his reassuring smile "there's no other place I would like to stay but by your side."

Seras could feel the warmth in his words. Hesitant, she plodded deeper in herself. Her mind passed by the horde of ghouls that stood up aimlessly, rotten for the end of times. Among the group, two porcelain-like girls were hugging each other. Their pristine blue eyes opened to look at her with fright. Seras held out her hand towards them half smiling. She needed their acceptance more than anything else. The bigger girl stood up, bravely on her face as if she wanted to protect her little sister. The Draculina didn't know if keeping the hand extended was still a good idea.

"Don't hate me...please." She mumbled hesitantly. About pulling her hand back, the little girl stood up, mocking face flashed on her when said.

"Wir verzeihen, wenn Sie laden in den Rücken." The little girl was already climbing her back, the older sister smiled at Seras and tried to pull the other down while admonishing the mess her spoiled sister was making. The Draculina blinked a couple of times, she had understood even though they were speaking in german. Relief ran through her undead veins, she had been forgiven and also discovered a new ability. It was worth playing with the girls the rest of the trip to the cabinet meeting.

* * *

That didn't come out as expected, they never expected the meeting was actually a news conference where Integra had to publicly apologize. Back in the mansion Duke sat on his desk chair looking at the ladies he was used to respect as workmates argue like small children. The whole scenario was like watching a tennis match. A rally of both girls trying to break each other's pride. Seras was hurt, not physically but emotionally. It was plausible after the shameful public apologize their boss had to express to the wife of the now deceased consul of Germany. Seras aced they didn't have the right for asking the britishers to apologise, with the follow through that they were the ones who should feel shame.

Integra set a lob retorting that Germany was not involved with Millenium, and it was the nation they had gotten more support after the London's massacre. Then Seras got the ball deep yelling that there were a lot of dead compatriots for caring of two whimpy useless foreign kid's deaths. Integra advantaged saying that, in politics, the welfare of a few was more important than the masses. Then she backhanded by adding it was Seras responsibility to protect humans whoever they'd be. Stunned by the statement, the Draculina placed herself in no man's land blurting that Duke and she were being shot, she had reacted as any vampire should do, and anyway the children were about die of starvation!

The boss profited of her subordinate's poor moral for winning the set; nor Seras not Duke were _ordinary_ vampires, they were part of Hellsing, therefore they live to protect humans.

"Can I say something?" Duke raised his hand warily. I seemed he was love-a bazillion points against both women, as no one paid him attention.

As Seras came out with another witty comeback, Duke's mind drifted back when he was newly born fledging. He remembered being in a similar situation when Madalina, the oldest of Dracula's 'brides', argued with her sire about permission for going out hunting by herself. It was all 'you're too naive' this and 'you think I'm fool' that. Back then he thought it was stupid, they were all immortals it wasn't like going out a little would kill them. But focusing in his kin's behavior, it wasn't very different than the humans'. Dracula was truly worried of her welfare. Like Integra was now that it had been casted out they were not the leashed non harmful creatures that the modern world expected. The Head of Hellsing was afraid of having to seal Seras and him, like her grand grand father had done with Alucard.

Duke burst in laugh, and both women stopped their dispute looking bewildered at him. When he could regain his calm he looked at the girls feeling some happiness inside. No wonder Dracula had picked these women as his colleagues.

"All this time I've though it's not _your_ business but... actually I wear something that seals my powers." He shrugged, then pulled out his shirt sleeve up to the shoulder to reveal a tattoo.

"An uroboros?" Integra was intrigued, she leaned closer to study the intricate design on the vampire's arm.

"You like it? I loved the concept, the eternity and that. Pretty adoc isn't it? But that's not what I wanted to show you." He clenched his pointy nails exactly under the pattern. Seras flinched when the blood started to pour out. Duke grimaced while his fingers dug deeper in his muscle, then he pulled out his blood covered hand holding something, small. "It's a microchip."

He handed it to Integra, who pulled a handkerchief from her pocket for giving the object a soft cleaning. Seras trotted to peek over her shoulder, all the previous argument forgotten. The boss glared at him.

"This is..." Integra trailed off as her mind was racing somewhere farther than the Hellsing Manor, next minute she was pointing her gun at Duke's forehead. "I knew it, this bastard is one of Millennium's henchmen."

Duke instinctively raised both hands expecting that symbol of rendition was enough, but as Seras was starting to show mistrust he uttered in half annoyance, half fright.

"For the last time, I'm proud American, your assumption that I get along with nazis offends me" he pouted, then added with a confident smiled "Jack made it."

"This technology is too similar to what the Mayor used for the artificial vampires, where did he get it?" Integra stayed calm, but there was venom in her voice.

"Nothing to do… and I expect him to explain you if it's necessary. He has never told me, though." He scratched the back of his head, while confirming his arm had heal completely. "Seriously Integra, you have to relax or you'll wrinkle younger than expected."

"That's what I've been saying" Seras added playfully, Integra's disapproving look shut her up.

Despite the argument that followed up the possibility of artificially sealing away a vampire, the expectation of seeing Jack again had Duke enjoying that his new boss was continuously pointing her gun at him every time she drew up a question. As far as he knew, after one of those days with him losing composure, Jack went out of his studio after several nights promising Duke a way to forget the memories that hounded him. The chip had suffered notorious modifications since then, turning every five years or so smaller. It's origin was still a mystery.

"Fine then," Integra holstered her gun giving the vampire finally a break. She was too tired from that day activities for working through how to fix something that was already fixed. "Tomorrow I'd be calling Clemens, he will assist you in the creation of a more powerful and secure seal for both you and Seras."

"W-wait, you want _me_ to do it?"

"We lack of income for paying Clemens for it. Besides, I can keep an eye on you while you are on it."

"Even if you want, you couldn't keep both eyes on him, Sir!" Seras chuckled, moved by the accuracy of the expression. Duke couldn't avoid copying along.

A bullet on each vampires head made them shut up. Integra knew she had no time to lose as both were breaking loose a little bit as time went by.

**Author's Note: Another short chapter I guess, another long delay. The little girls names are Elica and Isole, their German is terrible because the writer used google translator. Are you expecting to see Jack Clemens? I think you have to wait, because you won't see him nearly in four chapters. Funny part is that I haven't outlined that character yet. **

**Thank you for following the story, it really makes me feel better whenever I see a notification from a new follower. I wouldn't like to sound demanding but, could you also review? A simple "I like it" or "I don't like your OCs" would be fine. Writing is about improving, but without comments it's like sailing without compass. So, click the review button, please?**


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